Radio Static
by monogalya
Summary: MODERN AU. Jack gets suspicious when his little sister (Ellie) wants to help out with the dishes. Ellie is obsessed with a new singer. Elsa's kickstarting her singing career, but there's one minor problem, and his name is Hans. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

It was just another rainy spring night, and Jack was in his room reading...a comic book.

"Hey Jack, it's your turn to wash the dishes," Jack's mom called.

"Yea, I'll be there in a second!" he said.

Jack quickly tossed his comic book in the messy pile by his bed and then left his room to go to the kitchen. He was about to grab the radio when he heard a voice yell at him.

"Wait!" Jack looked up and saw his little sister, Ellie, running to him, out of breath. "I'll..help..with the...dishes."

Jack blinked. "What?"

"I said I'd help you wash some of the dishes."

Jack stared at her. Ellie wanting to help with the chores? When it clearly was his turn? Impossible.

"Jack, Ellie's trying to help you with your chores, why are you hesitating?" his mom asked, looking up from the magazine she was reading. "You need all the help you can get," she added.

Ellie nodded, smiling a toothy grin.

"Okay," Jack said, holding his hands in front of him. He turned back to the radio.

"Can I choose the radio station?" Ellie asked sweetly. Jack looked down at his little sister, geez she was acting weird, but still, he handed her the radio, scratching the back of his head. Ellie usually tried to get Jack to do her chores for her, and she always chose Pandora over an actual, physical radio.

He started washing the dishes as Ellie turned the dial on the radio, and after a few seconds of fiddling and listening to plain radio static, she got to a radio station. Honestly, Jack was shocked that Ellie knew how the radio worked.

"What station did you choose?" he asked her.

"Shhh. She's about to start." she replied. Then she walked to the sink and stood next to him, picking up a dish and washing it.

"Oh, is it the new singer songwriter you were squealing about yesterday?"

"Yes, and she has a name, you know?" Ellie shot back with her tween attitude. "Elsa Winters. The most amazing singer and songwriter on Earth."

"Didn't she-" Jack started.

Ellie shushed him, freezing rigidly in place and sending suds flying upwards. Jack backed away hastily. Piano notes could be heard from the radio, followed by a voice singing very familiar lyrics.

_God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts_

_Guess he kissed the girls and made them cry_

_Those hard-faced queens of misadventure_

_God knows what is hiding in those weak and sunken lives_

_Fiery throngs of muted angels_

_Giving love but getting nothing back, oh_

"It's a cover of People Help the People," Jack whispered, completely taken aback.

"Yuh huh," Ellie said. "Isn't it lovely? Her voice is just so-"

"Yea, Ellie, less gushing, more washing."

She grumbled and did just that. That was when Jack realized. She was only here for the radio. He remembered yesterday when she was freaking out with all of her fellow Winterlings (yes, Elsa Winters' fans were called Winterlings) because Elsa Winters was going to have a singing session on the radio today. Jack continued scrubbing and rinsing the plates and dishes as he listened to Elsa Winters singing her rendition of one of his favorite songs.

_People help the people_

_And if you're homesick_

_give me your hand and I'll hold it_

_People help the people_

_And nothing will drag you down_

_Oh and if I had a brain,_

_Oh and if I had a brain_

_I'd be cold as a stone and rich as a fool_

_That turned all those good hearts away_

_God knows what is hiding in this world of little consequence_

_Behind the tears, inside the lies_

_A thousand slowly dying sunsets_

_God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts_

_Guess the loneliness came knocking_

_No one needs to be alone, oh singin'_

_People help the people_

_And if you're homesick,_

_give me your hand and I'll hold it_

_People help the people_

_Nothing will drag you down_

_Oh and if I had a brain,_

_Oh and if I had a brain_

_I'd be cold as a stone and rich as a fool_

_That turned all those good hearts away_

_Nah naaah nah nah naaaaahhhhhh oooouuuu_

_Nah naaah nah nah naaaaahhhhhh oooouuuu_

_People help the people_

_And if you're homesick,_

_give me your hand and I'll hold it_

_People help the people_

_Nothing will drag you down_

_Oh and if I had a brain,_

_Oh and if I had a brain_

_I'd be cold as a stone and rich as a fool_

_That turned all those good hearts away_

By the end of the song, Jack and Ellie had finished washing the dishes and they were drying on the rack. Jack did most of the work, while Ellie washed only the utensils and one plate. Jack was drying his hands when Ellie squealed.

"Ohmygosh it's this song! It's one of her original songs!" Her eyes were gleaming. She took the radio and placed it on the kitchen counter. Then she just lay her arms flat on the counter and rested her chin on them, closing her eyes and enjoying the music.

Jack listened along while pouring himself a glass of water, adding a very liberal amount of ice cubes. It was his first time listening to Elsa Winters, but he had to admit that he already grew fond of her voice.

Ellie sighed in content. "This live version is so beautiful. Less percussion and more orchestra instruments lets her voice shine brighter than-"

This time, it was Jack who did the shushing. Ellie grinned, knowing her brother was starting to like Elsa Winters as an artist, singer, and songwriter, but she remained quiet, just listening to the music.

* * *

Elsa looked up and saw the signal Gary, her friend working at the radio station, gave her. She nodded and played the final note on the piano, finishing her cover of People Help the People. Then she stood up and watched as the orchestra took their seats, sitting in rest position, waiting for Gary to give his cue. Elsa walked over to the microphone that Gary pointed to. She listened as Gary raised his arms, conducting, and the orchestra started playing soft notes. Elsa took a few breaths before singing.

_Sunlight comes creeping in_

_Illuminates our skin_

_We watch the day go by_

_Stories of all we did_

_It made me think of you_

_It made me think of you_

_Under a trillion stars_

_We danced on top of cars_

_Took pictures of the stage_

_So far from where we are_

_They made me think of you_

_They made me think of you_

_Oh lights go down_

_In the moment we're lost and found_

_I just wanna be by your side_

_If these wings could fly_

_Oh damn these walls_

_In the moment we're ten feet tall_

_And how you told me after it all_

_We'd remember tonight_

_For the rest of our lives_

_I'm in a foreign state_

_My thoughts they slip away_

_My words are leaving me_

_They caught an aeroplane_

_Because I thought of you_

_Just from the thought of you_

_Oh lights go down_

_In the moment we're lost and found_

_I just wanna be by your side_

_If these wings could fly_

_Oh damn these walls_

_In the moment we're ten feet tall_

_And how you told me after it all_

_We'd remember tonight_

_For the rest of our lives_

_If these wings could fly_

_Oh lights go down_

_In the moment we're lost and found_

_I just wanna be by your side_

_If these wings could fly_

_Oh damn these walls_

_In the moment we're ten feet tall_

_And how you told me after it all_

_We'd remember tonight_

_For the rest of our lives _

Elsa finished singing and the orchestra played the last note. Gary smiled giddily and gave Elsa a thumbs up.

"Great job!" he said, wrapping Elsa in a hug.

Elsa returned the hug. She was so glad she had Gary. They met in university and soon became best friends. She wanted to become a musician and after university, she got a record deal. Luckily, Gary worked at the radio station, and got her a chance to perform a couple of songs. The entire night, she was nervous and anxious, repeating in her mind, _conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't feel, don't let it show, don't screw up. _It was something her father always told her, to help her deal with her little anxiety attacks. They were a big deal when she was little, sometimes she felt nauseous, but repeating that mantra helped her get through and concentrate.

Elsa sighed. But her father was long gone, and so was her mother. They were in a terrible plane crash. After that, she locked herself in her room, and it took a long time, but she eventually bounced back. Of course, she always had her adorkable little sister, Anna. Anna was always cheerful and Elsa didn't love anybody more than her younger sister. They lived on their own, but also with their cousin Rapunzel, or Punzie, who recently moved to the city from Corona. Anna and Punzie were great friends, and they were the same age, going to the same university, so Punzie's parents let her stay with Anna and Elsa.

"You were awesome!" Gary said. He looked up and saw his boss staring sternly at him. "Oh, right." He checked his watch. "Two minutes, then you're on with your next song, okay?"

Elsa nodded. "Got it."

Elsa felt her phone buzz and pulled it out from her pocket.

Text Message to: Elsa

_Elsa! Elsa! Elsa! _

Text Message to: Elsa

_I waited for your break in order to send this text, and I'm so excited. :D_

Text Message to: Elsa

_Punzie and I have big news for you, it's very important! _

Text Message to: Elsa

_Can't wait for you to come home to tell you. _

Elsa's eyes widened. Important news? She didn't want to wait till she got home.

Text Message to: Anna

_Anna. Tell me now. _

Text Message to: Anna

_Anna, you know how I feel about surprises, tell me. _

Text Message to: Anna

_Please, Anna, telllllll meeeee. _

Text Message to: Anna

_Anna, _

Text Message to: Anna

_Anna, I'm serious. Tell me. _

"Elsa, you're up," Gary tapped her shoulder.

"Mhmm."

Elsa reluctantly put her phone away. Why did Anna have to be so stubborn about this?

But she pushed all of her thoughts about that away, and prepared to pour heart and soul into the song.

* * *

When the song was over and the sound of Elsa's voice started to fade into silence, Ellie lifted her head and saw that Jack was still there, standing with his glass of iced water.

She grinned. "Still here?"

Jack looked up. "Huh?"

"You're still here. Listening to the radio."

Jack chuckled nervously but hoped it didn't show. "You think I'm staying here for-haha-nah, no, why would you think that?"

Jack's mother walked over to sit in a stool next to Ellie.

"Sweetie, I'm going to give you a few tips, alright?"

Ellie nodded, eager to learn.

Mrs. Frost studied Jack for a couple of seconds before speaking again.

"You can tell he's lying or uncomfortable with the situation he's in. He's stammering and asking you a question to avoid talking more."

Jack gulped.

"And he just gulped, he's also fidgeting a lot, and he kept covering his mouth, so he's definitely lying."

Ellie smiled. "Thanks Mom." She turned to Jack. "So you like Elsa Winters?"

This time, Jack was genuinely laughing. "Like her? I don't even know her."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Not like her like her, I mean as a musician."

"Oh. Sure. She's okay," he said, taking a long sip from his iced water.

"See that?" Mrs. Frost nudged her daughter. "Taking long sips. He's avoiding speaking."

"Mom!" Jack whined.

"You're a bad liar." Jack raised his eyebrows, and Mrs. Frost immediately realized what was said. "Th-that's a good thing, a really good thing, Jack."

She mumbled to herself. "You're just like your father, you guys are tragic liars."

"I heard that," Jack announced.

"It doesn't make it any less true," Mrs. Frost replied.

"Ooh, when's Dad coming back?" Ellie asked.

"Soon, sweetie, soon," Mrs. Frost said, playing with Ellie's brown hair.

Jack's father was part of the military. Even though they were his direct family, they didn't always know exactly when he was coming back. It hurts not knowing. It sucks for Jack, but he knows his mother is more emotionally hurt than he ever was.

"Oh! She's back on!" Ellie cried out.

Elsa Winter's voice returned, and Mrs. Frost said, "She does have a remarkable voice."

Jack walked across the apartment and went back into his room to read his comics.

Jack heard the knock on his door five minutes later. His mother came in.

"Hey, honey, can you do me a favor and make a run to the store for me?"

"Sure. What do we need?" he asked.

Mrs. Frost handed Jack a slip of paper. It was a small shopping list.

"Be careful, Jack, it's a little dark out there."

"I'll be fine."

"Bring an umbrella!"

"I already got one," Jack said as he walked out of the apartment.

* * *

"I don't think I've said it enough times. You. Were. Magnificent."

"Thanks Gary. I gotta go now, my sister's waiting." Elsa said. She gave him one last hug and made her way to the exit. She had to get to Anna and ask about the big news.

But then she was stopped.

"Elsa, you were great tonight, keep up the good work." It was her manager, Hans. He sounded nonchalant. Among other things, Elsa always found his tone annoying, but still put up with him.

"Thanks, Hans, I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

She waved goodbye to everyone at the radio station and left. It was pouring. So much for taking a nice stroll home on a cool spring night.

Elsa made a beeline for the closest bus stop and waited patiently for her bus. But that wasn't necessary because the bus came two seconds later, splashing rain onto the grey pavement. Elsa got on the bus and immediately took out her Kindle and started to read.

The bus was about to close the doors, but the bus driver opened the doors for one passenger. He ran to the bus and thanked the driver for waiting, and paid before walking to take a seat. But when the bus jolted forward, he lost his balance and slipped. His hand reached out for a pole and it saved him from falling. But something did fall, and clattered when it hit the bus floor.

Elsa picked up her Kindle, it was knocked out of hand when the man almost fell.

"Sorry," he said.

She looked up at him. The man had blue eyes and white hair, though he wasn't elderly. She quickly looked back at her Kindle, and cursed mildly under her breath. Her Kindle screen went completely white.

The man took a seat next to her and gestured to the Kindle. "May I?"

Reluctantly, Elsa handed over the Kindle, and watched as he fiddled with it, until the Kindle icon appeared on the screen, and then she saw her homescreen, with all of the books where they were before she dropped the Kindle.

She gasped. "Thank you so much!"

The man shrugged. "It was my fault you dropped it, so the least I could do was fix your Kindle." He looked out the window. "Shoot, this is my stop. Have a good night," he said before getting up and hopping off the bus.

Elsa didn't get a chance to say goodbye or ask for his name or anything. She shrugged, sighed, and went back to reading the book on her Kindle.


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa cursed herself for fumbling with the keys to her apartment. She _needed_ to know what the big news was. When the door finally unlocked, she quickly dropped off her keys and hung her jacket.

"Anna? Punzie?"

The two younger girls ran from their room and greeted Elsa with hugs.

"You're back!" Punzie said excitedly.

"You got my text right?" Anna asked.

Elsa nodded. "I did, and I want to know what the big news is!" she demanded.

"Well, about two days ago, or was it three?" Punzie said. "That doesn't really matter, does it?"

Anna sighed. "I'll explain. We entered a contest and we won!" She squealed, jumping up and down with Punzie.

"What did you win?"

"A trip to Norway."

"A trip to Norway?!" Elsa asked, shocked. "How many days?"

"We'll be back in a week," Punzie replied.

"Sooooo?" Anna asked.

"What?" Elsa asked, confused.

"Are you going to go with us?"

Elsa blinked. "Oh, I can't. I have to go to some events that Hans had planned for me."

"Boo," Punzie said, frowning. "You sure you can't go with us?"

"I wish I could. Norway sounds nice," Elsa said. "Are you sure you guys will be okay?"

"We'll be fine, Elsa," they both chimed.

Elsa grabbed her phone. "What day are you two leaving?"

Anna ran to her room and came back to the living room, holding a brochure. "Ummm… the 27th. That's this Saturday."

Elsa added that to her calendar and paused. "That's three days from now. You guys should start packing!"

Punzie and Anna ran to their room while Elsa bombarded them with questions:

"What flight number?"

"Errr… 918."

"Time of departure?"

"8:00 pm."

"And the time you're getting back?"

"Supposed to be 10:45 pm, but you know how planes are, always getting delayed," Anna replied, tossing clothes into her suitcase.

"Where are you staying?"

"A hotel, I forgot the name," Anna answered.

"The Thief," Punzie quickly told Elsa.

By then, Elsa already checked the hotel, reading reviews and checking out the photos. "Okay, it seems like a pretty good hotel…despite the name." She looked up from her phone after typing all the information and saving it. "Are you sure you guys are gonna be okay?"

Anna smiled. "You already asked that."

"And we'll be fine," Punzie added.

"We said that, too," Anna said.

Elsa sighed. "Well it's just that it's the first time you two are travelling out of the country without me. You don't even have an adult going with you."

"We are adults!" said Anna and Punzie.

"Really? Huh, because last night I remember both of you going to my room because you both had bad dreams." Elsa pointed to Anna. "You had a strange dream about trolls, and you," she pointed at Punzie, "had a nightmare about ruffians and thugs. You guys were scared out of your minds, such kids."

Anna and Punzie grew a shade redder.

"W-well," Anna stammered, "we're over 18, so we're adults."

Elsa wrapped them in a hug. "I know you guys are adults, I'm worried, that's all." She pulled away and gave them a stern look. "Promise not to do anything stupid?"

"Promise," Punzie replied.

"I solemnly swear to not do anything stupid," Anna said.

Punzie faked a cough. "Geek," she muttered in between coughs.

As Elsa left the room, Anna rolled her eyes. "Punzie, your boyfriend is the one who owns all of those Wolverine comics."

"And yours has a bunch of Batman comics. Doesn't he also have a collection of reindeer stickers and stuff?" Punzie shot back.

"Hey! Less talking about Flynn and Kristoff, you guys should be packing!" Elsa called from the kitchen. She was preparing their dinner, and while she waited for the filled pasta to cook, she made a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Hans, it's Elsa. I need to know what time the event on Saturday is starting."

"8:30 at night, why?"

"My sister and my cousin are going on a trip and I want to see them to the airport. I might be late to the event."

Elsa heard Hans sigh dramatically on the other end of the line and she rolled her eyes.

"Hans, I only said that I might be late. _Might," _ Elsa said, aggravated that Hans expected the worst outcome.

"It's fine, Elsa, I'll stall if you're late."

Elsa rolled her eyes again. She just said that there was only a slight chance that she was going to be late. Did he really think of her as that irresponsible of a person?

"See you on Saturday," she said as she rapidly hung up, attacking the end call button repeatedly.

Elsa sighed. It took a lot for her not to scream at Hans and fire him. She placed her phone on the counter before checking the time. The pasta should be ready about now.

"Anna! Punzie! Dinner!" she hollered.

Anna and Punzie ran to the dining table and took their seats. Anna started snooping on Elsa's phone.

"Ooooooh, you called Hans? Did you ask him out? He's so good-looking," she gushed.

Punzie rolled her eyes. "I bet you she didn't."

Anna's eyes widened before extending her hand. "$10?"

"You're on," Punzie replied, accepting the handshake.

Elsa walked to the table, handing Anna and Punzie their plates of pasta.

"So did you ask him out?" Anna asked.

"You're welcome," Elsa said, expecting a thank you.

"Thank you," the two girls said sheepishly, as Elsa brought her plate of pasta along with utensils to the table.

She took a seat before adding, "And for your information, I didn't ask him out."

"Ha!" Punzie screamed, pointing her fork (which had a piece of pasta on it) at Anna. "You owe me ten bucks."

"Noooo, Elsa, why not?! You guys would be-"

Elsa almost spit her pasta out. "Stop right there. Don't say that. It's never going to happen. I don't even like him that much as a person." She started listing all the bad stuff about Hans. "He's a jackass. His personality alone deserves a right hook, don't even get me started on the smug look that's always on his face."

"Then why won't you just get a new manager?" Punzie asked.

"Though he is a jackass, he did manage to get me into some events, so I'm on the fence about it."

Anna put her fork down. "Well you think Hans ever needs a right hook, my fist is right here."

"Yea, right, you're going to be in Norway for a week, so there's not much you can do about that."

Anna sighed. "If he mistreats you or anything, don't be afraid to fire him," she said, looking Elsa straight in the eye. "Or give him a black eye."

Elsa smirked. "Well I know who to call for that," she said, eyeing Anna.

Punzie cleared her throat. "Or you could call Flynn, his dog, Maximus, is crazy scary. And I have a frying pan. Just putting that out there."

Elsa smiled. "I'll keep it in mind."

* * *

It wasn't long before Saturday, and Elsa was at the airport with Anna and Punzie.

"You guys packed everything you need, right?" Elsa asked.

"Uh huh."

"Of course."

"Alright, if your flight gets delayed, or anything goes wrong, call me, text me, email me, I don't care, just let me know."

"Yea, we got this," Punzie said.

"We'll keep in touch everyday, don't worry, Elsa."

"And we'll take loads of photos and videos," Punzie promised. Her chameleon, Pascal, poked out from her carry on bag. She tapped his head. "Pascal, go back into the bag." The lizard turned the same navy blue as the bag and crawled back in.

"Are you guys absolutely, positively, sure that you're-"

"_Yes_, Elsa, we're going to be _fine_," they replied together.

"Okay," Elsa whispered, and pulled them in for a hug, holding the two girls close.

Not long later, Anna and Punzie waved as they boarded the plane, and Elsa waved back.

Elsa checked her watch. 7:59. She walked back to her car. It was about time to go to the event. The place was about a 30 minute drive away. It was also relatively close to where Elsa lived, so getting home would be easy.

Unfortunately, there was major traffic on the way there, and Elsa was stuck in it. With all of the cars moving at a snail's pace, Elsa considered getting out of her car and finding an alternative way to get there, but ultimately stayed in the car and muttered curses under her breath, just like all of the other drivers stuck in traffic.

* * *

Jack inhaled the spring air and walked around the city. It was a night for the guys to hang out, and he was free to roam around the city since his friend Tooth offered to take care of Ellie. Usually, it would be Jack, Bunnymund, and Hiccup doing stupid stuff until midnight, but Hiccup had a date with his girlfriend, Astrid, so it was just Jack and Bunny. They walked down a random street, the moon and the streetlamps providing light in the otherwise dark city.

"So where do you want to go?" Jack asked Bunny.

Bunny inhaled sharply. "Not now, mate," he said under his breath, and shuffled to walk by Jack's other side.

"What's wrong?" Jack looked down the block and grinned mischievously. "It's just a greyhound, Bunnymund, man up."

Suddenly, a car alarm went off and the greyhound went crazy, chasing Bunny around.

"Shit!" he yelled and scrambled out of the way. Bunny considered climbing the tree or the streetlamp, but then opted to run into a building.

As the greyhound walked away after chasing Bunny, Jack chuckled and went into the building Bunny ran to. Once he stepped into the store, he recognized it immediately. "Hey, isn't this-"

"North's bar, yea," Bunnymund said, out of breath. They had stumbled into North's bar. It was very popular place. There was good food, good drinks, and great live performances.

Jack laughed. "Sorry for your troubles, man, I'll buy you a drink."

"You better," Bunny replied and followed Jack.

"Bunny! Jack!" North said merrily, patting both of them on the back. "The usual?" he asked, not waiting for their responses before preparing their drinks. "What's wrong, Bunny? I know something's bothering you. I can feel it." He gestured to his belly. "In my belly."

"A greyhound chased me here," Bunny grumbled before grabbing his drink.

Jack smiled and took a sip of his drink before something crossed his mind. "Hey, North, what song is playing right now?"

North lit up like a Christmas tree. "A song by Elsa Winters. She's going to perform here tonight," he said smiling.

Jack nodded, knowing that the background music sounded familiar. It was the song he heard on the radio a couple days before, the one Ellie was obsessing over. It was a good song, but Jack liked the live, acoustic version from the radio more.

"Elsa and her manager showed up and together we arranged to have her perform. She's really talented." He sighed. "But her manager," North rolled his eyes, "he belongs on the Naughty list," rolling up his sleeve and pointing at the "Naughty" tattoo on his forearm.

"Why?" Jack asked, concerned. Nobody as talented as Elsa Winters should have a bad manager.

"If and when you meet this guy, you'll hate him," North replied.

"Great," Bunny shot back. "Because I really feel like punching someone right now."

North crossed his arms and nodded towards the entrance, where a group of guys were walking in. "Hans Westergaard. The one with auburn hair with sideburns."

"He looks like such a-"

"-douche, I know," North said.

"He's coming this way," Bunny warned them.

"No, I don't want to deal with him," he complained and poured himself a drink, as if scotch could drown all of his problems.

"Too late," Jack said to North under his breath. Hans was already at the bar counter.

"Hey, North, is Elsa here yet?" Hans asked.

North shook his head.

At that moment, both of their phones chimed. North and Hans checked their phones.

"Traffic jam," North said. "She says she'll get here late."

Hans scoffed. "I knew it, she said she had to send her sister and cousin to the airport but I bet it's just a dumb excuse for-"

North looked up the traffic reports. "No, she's serious, there are traffic delays all around the city. You can't blame her, Hans."

"I did all the hard work and arranged this event for her, she should at least show up on time!" Hans yelled.

_But you're actually not working harder than Elsa. She actually writes and sings songs. She probably wouldn't need a manager to get this event. She could've simply impressed North with her pure talent and scored a performance, _Jack thought.

"Come on, Hans, just give her some more time, I'm sure she'll show up, and the crowd will love it no matter what." He got a glass of whiskey. "Here, have a drink."

Hans took the drink and drank while North tended the other customers.

Jack turned to Hans. "So you're Elsa Winter's manager?"

Hans almost spewed out his drink. "Yea, I am. Why? Are you one of her lousy fans?"

"My little sister listens to a lot of her music," Jack explained, hiding his frown of disapproval. _How does Elsa put up with a manager who calls her fans "lousy"?_

"Ah," Hans said, nodding.

Jack's phone buzzed and he stepped out to take the call. When he was out on the street, he saw that it was from Tooth.

"Hello?"

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"Ellie? How do you have Tooth's phone?"

"I asked her if I could use her phone to call you, of course," Ellie replied cheerfully.

Jack smiled for a split second before realizing something. "Wait, Ellie it's almost 9. You should be going to bed now!"

Ellie groaned on the other end of the line. "Awww, why do I have to go to bed so early?"

"Just cause."

"Not good enough."

Jack scoffed. "Can I talk to Tooth?"

"Sure."

There was silence and a bit of muffled fumbling, sort of like radio static, but then Tooth was talking to him. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tooth, can you just please make sure that Ellie goes to sleep on time?"

"Yea, no problem. I got this."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. This isn't the first time I'm babysitting Ellie," she reminded him.

"Yea, but this is the first time you let her stay up past bedtime."

"Whatever," Tooth replied. "Just enjoy the rest of the night while you can, Jack," she said. "Tomorrow, Ellie's going to be your responsibility again."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Jack heard Ellie ask in the background. He chuckled.

"Okay, I'm going to hang up," Tooth said.

"Wait!" Ellie screamed.

The muffled sound of the phone being handed to another person came back, until Ellie was talking again.

"Jack, you still there?"

"Yep. What's up, kiddo?"

"Nothing, just wanted to say goodnight."

"Goodnight, Ellie."

"Night night," Ellie said before hanging up.

Jack smiled, this is what made his sister so sweet and lovable. He returned his phone to his pocket and walked back into the bar. However, there were no customers at the bar counter. Jack turned to North.

"Where are all of the-" He paused when North pointed towards the stage. All of the customers flocked to the chairs and tables by the stage, some were on the second floor, standing on the balcony overlooking the stage, leaning on the railing. Those who couldn't find seats simply stood and watched. Unfortunately for Jack, the ones standing blocked his view of the stage. However, he could still hear the music, and for now, it was good enough for him, he already recognized the voice. It was Elsa Winters.

"Elsa got here a little while after you stepped out," North told Jack.

"The little bitch finally showed up," Hans grumbled sluggishly.

Jack frowned. "Is he drunk?" he whispered to North.

North nodded.

Jack walked to Hans. "Okay, I think that's enough drinking for now," he said, pulling the glass away from Hans.

"Hey!" Hans complained, his words slurred. He was definitely drunk and tipsy. "Give me back my drinkkkk."

"No, I don't want you to keep-"

Hans swung his fist at Jack, and surprisingly, he didn't miss. Jack was knocked backwards and grunted as he landed on the floor. Hans took his drink back as Bunny helped Jack get up.

"Are you alright?"

"Yea, I think."

"Can you stand?"

"Yes."

"You're fine," Bunny said, brushing the topic off and walking back to his seat.

"Wow, I can see how much you care," Jack commented sarcastically.

Hans finished his drink. "Hey, Santa, can I have another?"

Jack shook his head, chuckling. North may look like Santa, but he wasn't.

"No you many not. You've had one too many," North snapped.

"Aw, come on, Santa. Give the kid a drink!" one of Hans' friends said.

"He's on the Naughty list, he doesn't deserve a drink or a present."

"I want another drinkkkkkkkkkk!" Hans complained, slamming his fist on the counter.

"You are _way too drunk _for that. You already hurt my friend due to your drunken state and you want another drink?" North yelled.

Jack looked over at the crowd of customers. They were still cheering and swaying to the songs Elsa Winters was singing, unaware of the yelling.

"Yes, I do!" Hans cried. "I'm havingggg a bad dayy. First I had to deal with my 12 olderr brotherss. Then the Winters bitch doesn't show up on time, and now you won't give mee another goddamn drinkk," he slurred.

Jack frowned. That is no way to address Elsa Winters.

"For the last time, no. No more drinks for you," North said sternly.

Hans aimed his fist at North, but he dodged.

"Hey!" Jack yelled and pulled Hans away from North.

It only got worse from there. Hans started punching Jack repeatedly, and his friends did, too, until all Jack could hear were muffled cries and all he could see were the black spots in his vision until he faded from consciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa showed up late, and Hans gave her a very unforgiving look, but North simply patted her back and smiled through her apologies.

"No seriously I'm really sorry about this-"

"It's alright, Elsa. Traffic sucks, I know, I've been in your shoes before." He led her to the stage, and the crowd cheered as Elsa took her place behind the mic and greeted her fans. They yelled back, screaming "hi, we're doing good", "we're doing great" or "WE LOVE YOU, ELSA!"

Elsa smiled. She adored her fans, and looking around the bar, she could see that she had a lot of them. Some were sitting at the chairs and tables in front of the stage, some standing behind them, and others on the second floor balcony. Her fans gave her more courage and confidence, to get rid of her fear and anxiety. She listened as the pianist played away, and the drummer started tapping lightly.

_Counting all different ideas, drifting away,_

_Past and present they don't matter_

_Now the future's sorted out._

_Watch her moving in elliptical patterns;_

_Think it's not what you say;_

_What you say is way too complicated._

_For a minute, though, I couldn't tell how to fall out._

_It's twenty seconds till the last call,_

_Callin' hey hey hey hey hey hey_

_Lie down you know it's easy,_

_Like we did it through summer long._

_And I'll be anything you ask and more,_

_Going hey, hey, hey, hey,_

_It's not a miracle we needed,_

_No I wouldn't let you think so._

_Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it..._

_Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it._

_Girlfriend, oh your girlfriend's drifting away,_

_Past and present, 1855-1901._

_Watch them built up a material tower_

_Think it's not gonna stay anyway_

_I think it's overrated_

_For a minute, though, I couldn't tell how to fall out._

_It's twenty seconds till the last call,_

_Callin' hey hey hey hey hey hey_

_Lie down you know it's easy,_

_Like we did it through summer long._

_And I'll be anything you ask and more,_

_Going hey, hey, hey, hey,_

_It's not a miracle we needed,_

_No I wouldn't let you think so._

_Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it..._

_Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it._

_Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it..._

_Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it..._

_Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it..._

_Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it._

The audience applauded and after the song, Elsa took a break and sat on the stage, answering some questions from the audience. _What's your favorite food? What's your favorite color? Who are some singers that you like? Who do you look up to? What is your favorite season? How do you feel about blue soda?_

Chocolate, for sure. I like blue. Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Justin Timberlake, to name a few. I'm inspired by and wholeheartedly admire Idina Menzel. Winter is my favorite, but spring is nice, too. Blue soda sounds cool, I'd love to try it.

"Okay," Elsa said as she got up, "I think it's high time for another song."

The crowd cheered in response, and Elsa started singing a second song.

_I find shelter in this way_

_Under cover, hide away_

_Can you hear when I say_

_I have never felt this way_

_Maybe I had said something that was wrong_

_Can I make it better with the lights turned on_

_Maybe I had said something that was wrong_

_Can I make it better with the lights turned on_

_Oh Oh Oh Oh_

_Can I be, was I there_

_Felt so crystal in the air_

_I still want to drown whenever you leave_

_Please teach me gently on how to breathe_

_And I'll cross oceans like never before_

_So you can feel the way I feel it too_

_And I'll send images back at you_

_So you can see the way I feel it too_

_Maybe I had said something that was wrong_

_Can I make it better with the lights turned on_

_Maybe I -_

"OH MY GOD!" Elsa screamed as she saw Hans and his men beating up another man. She ran off the stage and made her way to the bar counter. She pulled Hans away and pushed the other men back. One was fighting Bunny, but she separated them, too.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she shouted at Hans. Elsa looked at the man on the floor and realized that he was unconscious.

North looked absolutely furious. "OUT. NOW," he thundered, and Hans and his men walked out of the bar.

Bunny knelt by Jack. "Shit."

"He needs a medic!" Elsa cried. .

Bunny got up and left for a few seconds before coming back with a much shorter man with blonde hair.

"This is Sandy, he's a mute, but still a really good medic."

Elsa nodded and backed away as Sandy checked Jack. She walked to North and Bunny. "I'm so sorry, Hans is-"

"an idiot, a jerk, a blockhead, a complete ass," Bunny grumbled.

"Yea, he's all those things, but I'm really sorry for hurting your friend, and I understand if you don't want me here anymore," Elsa apologized to North.

Sandy walked to North and tapped his arm before signing something to him. Elsa didn't know sign language, so she had to wait until North filled her in.

"Jack's been knocked out, he should wake up in the next day. He needs rest, though. And he might have some bruises, but that's it."

Bunny and North looked at Jack before turning back to Elsa. North spoke up first. "It's not your fault, Elsa. You didn't do anything, it was Hans. He was so drunk and lost his common sense."

"As if he had any in the beginning," Bunny commented.

"But I still feel responsible," Elsa said, sighing. It was the truth, the guilt was weighing her down, and that was the reason why she spoke with North and Bunny and made a few arrangements.

* * *

After the talk with Bunny and North, Elsa returned to the stage. and performed the rest of her promised songs. She even got to meet some of her amazing fans, who were cool, none of them were obsessed, or overwhelming. They were simply the perfect fans. They were dedicated Winterlings, the best she could ever ask for.

The rest of the night went well, and North congratulated Elsa as he closed the bar.

"You were spectacular on stage! The fans loved your performance."

Elsa lowered her gaze and helped him tug the storefront gate down, even though the buff man clearly didn't need any help.

"Elsa, don't worry about what happened today. What you're doing is very generous, and Bunny and I owe you for this."

Elsa shook her head. "No, I owed you guys, since Hans was the one who knocked him out and I-"

"Stop that, you already apologized enough. Let's check on Jack."

Elsa nodded and led North down and around the block. She greeted the doorman as they entered the building.

"Hey, Dom."

Elsa and North got on the elevator and they went up to Elsa's apartment, where Bunny was waiting.

"Hey, mate. Listen, thanks again for letting Jack rest here."

"No problem," Elsa replied. "How is he?"

North, Bunny, and Elsa walked over to the guest bedroom. It was originally supposed to be Anna's room, but she kept going to Punzie's room for homework help and whatnot, so now they shared a room, and the extra room became a guest bedroom. Their most frequent guest was Merida, their fiery, Scottish, redhead friend. Merida was usually at her apartment uptown, but she was currently in Scotland, taking care of some family business. Now, Jack occupied the extra room.

"He looks fine," Bunny said,

"Yea, like Sandy said, he just needs his rest," North added.

Elsa nodded, though deep inside, she was scared that he actually wasn't okay. What if he didn't wake up? She knew it was extreme, but she could already picture him at the hospital, the heart monitor showing negative results, and she was genuinely worried for this guy.

"Stay cool, mate. Jack will be fine."

"He's Jack Frost, he's practically immortal," North joked.

Elsa's eyes widened.

"No, I was just kidding. His name is Jack Frost, but he's not Jack Frost, the immortal winter spirit, but no matter, he'll be alright."

Not long after, Bunny and North left Elsa's apartment, promising to come back to check on Jack the next morning. Elsa nodded before walking back to the room where Jack was and sighing as she took a seat on a stool next to the bed. Sitting there, she got her first real look at Jack. Back at the bar, she was too busy freaking out, she barely glanced at him. But here, she saw his white hair and recognized him as the man who fixed her Kindle on the bus. _So his name was Jack Frost_, she thought. Elsa was aware that it was a creepy thing to do, but she continued to study Jack as he rested.

She began to notice things about him. _His messy hair looked as if it was always tousled by the wind, and his ears poked out from his silvery locks. His eyebrows furrow from time to time. Unlike the hair on the top of his head, his eyebrows weren't white. They were darker, brown, actually. He was a side sleeper, and leaned on his left shoulder, though, judging by how he fixed her Kindle the other day, Elsa knew he was right handed. _

Elsa shook her head and frowned at her actions. She was such a creep. She looked away, redirecting her attention to the window, but that got boring fast. Elsa found herself stealing glances at him, because (let's be honest here) Jack has a swell combination of genes.

Finally, she could not take it anymore, and decided that she had to leave the room. She got up and walked back to her bedroom, absentmindedly thinking of him as she fell asleep.

* * *

Elsa woke up, and the first thing she did was check on Jack. He was still asleep, so she went to the kitchen and made breakfast.

After eating, she checked her phone, and she had missed calls from Anna and Punzie, who left messages.

"Hiii Elsa!" Elsa backed away so that her eardrum could recover, but she could still hear Anna and Punzie as they gushed about Norway.

"We've only been here for about an hour but _it is beautiful_. The hotel is amazing, and-"

"-right now we're checking out the restaurant and kitchen downstairs," Punzie cut in.

Anna hummed in agreement. "There are thousands of salad plates, and oh my word…"

Elsa frowned as Anna voice trailed off, and she wondered what she was doing.

"This chocolate tastes _heavenly_," Anna said, and Elsa could tell that her sister was stuffing herself with chocolate.

She giggled, hiding her laughter with her hand.

"We should probably get some sleep, since it's like 2 in the morning. Bye, Elsa, call back soon!" Punzie said.

Elsa moved on to the next message.

It was Punzie, and she was speaking softly. "It's 7 AM in Norway, Anna's still asleep," she said, giggling. "Her hair's a mess as usual, and she's drooling, too."

Punzie remained quiet for a while, and Elsa could hear Anna's snoring in the message.

"Bye Elsa," Punzie whispered.

The third message started soon after.

"Heyy Elsa!" They were just as loud as they were the first time. "It's 10:28 in the morning in Norway! We're planning on going to a gelato place nearby in the afternoon, but for now…"

"Punzie's painting the view of Norway from the window," Anna said. "But we're also doing puzzles, darts, and baking."

"Don't forget playing guitar, knitting, paper mache, a bit of ballet and chess!" Punzie called out.

Anna laughed nervously before whispering into the phone, "I suck at chess, so I'm secretly dreading that part. Save me, Elsa!"

The message ended, and Elsa was still shaking her head at Anna's silliness. She then took her mug of tea and went to the guest room, where Jack was still sleeping, and sat on the stool. The sunlight was pouring in through the window, and just when Elsa thought Jack's hair couldn't have gotten any whiter, it did.

Elsa sighed. She should work on new songs for her next album, which is going to consist of all original songs, instead of just covers. She went to her room to get her ukulele, some paper, and a pencil.

* * *

Jack blinked away his foggy vision as he woke up to sunlight shining through the window. But the window looked different. His eyes shifted to the bed. It definitely wasn't his bed with the Captain America bed sheets. His vision cleared up and his senses came back to life. He heard strumming and low humming, and shifted. Jack blinked. Then he did it once more. A few more times.

Sitting next to the bed was a beautiful woman with pale skin and platinum blonde hair in a loose braid. She was holding a baritone ukulele, humming a melody and jotting down notes in her small notebook. She was the woman whose Kindle he fixed on the bus. He continued to look at her for a while, quietly.

Jack finally managed to croak, "Where am I?"

A gasp followed shortly, and never in his 24 years of life had he seen a more astonished look on a more angelic face.

* * *

_He's awake. He's awake. He's awake, _was all Elsa could think. Without saying a word to Jack, she leaned her baritone ukulele against the wall. Elsa quickly got up and ran to the dining table, where North and Bunny were sitting (they came in roughly 15 minutes ago).

"He's awake," she said.

Those words were all that needed to be said before the two of them got up out of their chairs and dashed to the guest room.

* * *

"Hey guys," Jack croaked, as he saw two familiar faces: Bunny and North.

"Crikey! Are you alright, mate?"

"I'm fine," Jack replied.

"Well in that case, g' day, mate," Bunny said, smiling.

"Cookie?" North said, offering Jack a plate of Oreos.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "For breakfast?"

"I usually have homemade cookies, but I settled for Oreos today."

Jack shook his head, chuckling. He walked with them back out to the dining area, where the platinum blonde was. There was a strong coffee aroma in the kitchen.

"Coffee?" the platinum blonde asked, holding up a coffee pot.

"Sure," Jack and Bunny replied. North stuck with his milk and cookies.

The platinum blonde handed Jack and Bunny their mugs of coffee and sat down on the opposite side of the table. "Nice t-shirt," she said, gesturing to Jack's shirt and grinning.

Jack looked down at his t-shirt. He forgot which one he was wearing, due to last night's events. Realizing which one he had on, he found himself grinning, too.

It was a grey t-shirt that said in bold letters, OBAMA CAN'T TAKE THESE GUNS, with two black arrows pointing at his biceps.

"I know," he replied, flexing his muscles, though he didn't need to flex to display his biceps. "Like what you see?"

The woman rolled her eyes and snorted, but smiled all the same.

Jack mooned over her amazing smile, before Bunny brought him back down to Earth.

"You call those guns?" Bunny asked, rolling his eyes in disbelief before flexing his own muscles. "Now those are guns," he said with a wide smile on his face.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, this isn't a gun show, and it's not a competition," North said. "But if it was," he flexed his muscles, "I win!"

As North whooped and cheered, Jack studied the platinum blonde woman. _She giggles behind her right hand, and clutches her stomach. Her eyebrow game is on point. _

A loud ringing sound blared through the apartment, and Jack jumped in his seat.

"Crikey! What _was_ that?" Bunny asked, shocked.

"Sorry, it must've been my sister's alarm clock." The woman ran to one of the other rooms and shortly after, the ringing stopped.

She ran back to the dining table, and Jack couldn't help but sigh and smile. Even when she was flustered and her braid was slightly messy, she was still so…. Jack sighed again.

"Sorry about that," she said. "How's the coffee?"

"Eye-opening," Jack said, though he was evidently staring at _her_, and commenting on _her_, not the coffee.

* * *

Jack stood in the elevator with Bunny and North as they were heading down. "She was nice," he commented. He rocked back and forth in his place, grinning.

"Elsa? Yea, I already told you she's a great person," North replied, as if he were stating the obvious.

"Okay," Jack said. Then he blinked. "W-wait, that was Elsa Winters?!"

Bunny nodded. "How could you not have known?"

"Well there was never a proper introduction…"

"Well mate, now you know-"

"-I could've gotten her autograph for Ellie-"

"-mate, chill, it's not that big of a deal-"

"-I mean, she was right there, I was in her apartment!" Jack paused. "I was in Elsa Winter's apartment!" he exclaimed.

The elevator dinged as the door slid open. As he stepped out of the elevator and walked out of the building, he nodded. "So this is where Elsa Winters lives…"

North pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jack, please don't tell me you're going to start stalking her."

"You don't wanna be known as Elsa's creepy stalker, mate."

"First name basis, huh?" Jack turned to face Bunny and frowned. "Since when did you two become such close friends?"

"Jealous, mate?" Bunny asked.

"I-" Jack stopped short. "No, I'm not jealous," he said unevenly.

Bunny snorted and turned to North. "I think Frost has a crush."

"Crush?" Jack asked. "What is this, second grade?"

North raised his eyebrows and ignored Jack, looking at Bunny. "You think? It was so obvious, an elderly man two miles away could tell that Jack now only has eyes for Elsa."

"Eyes only for-" Jack scoffed. "W-what?"

"You mean who," Bunny corrected.

"I don't-"

"Denial won't work."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Forget you guys," he said, as he turned and walked off on his own.


	4. Chapter 4

"Yea, and then they started falsely accusing me of liking her!" Jack exclaimed.

Tooth rolled her eyes. "Falsely accusing? Jack this isn't a trial, drop the dramatics."

"But-"

"No buts," Tooth snapped. "Okay, describe her."

"She's tall-"

"Taller than you?"

Jack laughed. "Nah, she's not as tall as me. She has platinum blonde hair, pale skin, a light dusting of freckles on her rosy cheeks and a beautiful smile-"

"Ooh, are her teeth-"

"Yes, her teeth are a sparkling white. Anyways, her smile is just so beautiful that it puts all of the other smiles to shame."

Tooth raised her eyebrows, and Jack realized that he had been gushing. He pinched the bridge of his nose before getting up. "You know what, we should just end this conversation. I should get back to Ellie."

He left the living room.

Tooth laughed. "Yep, he definitely likes her."

* * *

Nighttime came and Ellie was tucked in, ready for sleep, but the tween still needed one more thing.

Jack sat by Ellie with his guitar. "Any song requests?"

"Ooh! Can you sing a song by Elsa W-"

"No," Jack said sternly. It drove him crazy every time he heard her name, but the sad thing was, he's too stubborn to admit that it's a good kind of crazy. A sweet type of insanity that makes him smile, look at the floor, and run his fingers through his hair.

"Aww," Ellie whined. "Pleaseeee? It can even be one of the songs that she sang a cover of."

"Ellie, don't you want to listen to other songs?"

"No, not really."

Jack sighed and proceeded to sing People Help the People.

"Only because it's one of my favorite songs," Jack said.

"Sure, Jack whatever you claim," Ellie said, giggling. "You like her, don't you?" she teased.

Jack paused mid-song. "Why does _everybody keep_saying that?"

Ellie giggled again. "Because it's so obvious that you're an Elsa Winters fan!"

_Oh. _Jack thought. _She means as a fan, not a crush. _He shook his head. He was foolish for thinking that Ellie would think that he liked Elsa WInters on that level. Then he remembered that Ellie didn't know about the events of the previous night.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Jack said casually. "I met Elsa Winters today."

Jack thought Ellie was about to doze off, but he was wrong. "WHAT!?" she shrieked.

"I met Elsa Winters," Jack said again.

"Did you get her autogr-"

"Sorry I didn't-"

"NO! Why?! You could've- ARGHHHH!"

"Calm down, Ellie-"

"I can't!" Ellie said, breathing heavily. "You met Elsa Winters!"

"Well I didn't know it was her until North and Bunny told me!"

She sighed. "How was she? Was she nice?"

Jack nodded.

"Was she kind?"

_Kind enough to let me stay at her place, _Jack thought. "Very," he replied.

Ellie sat up taller on her bed. "You still need to tell me exactly how you met her."

"Well, for you, this stuff might be a little too violent…"

"Just tell me!"

"Her manager punched me-"

"Oh," Ellie said, sounding disappointed.

"What's wrong?"

Ellie sighed. "It's just that I thought she would be the type of person to not hang around with bullies, or bad people in general. She just seems like a person who would never turn over to the dark side, or something like that, I don't know…" Ellie trailed off.

Jack shook his head vigorously. "Nonononono. Her manager is a terrible person, but I can assure you, Elsa Winters is an amazing human being!"

"Really?"

"Really. Her manager punched me, and I got knocked out, but Elsa let me stay and rest in her apartment-"

"YOU WERE IN ELSA WINTER'S APARTMENT!?"

Jack chuckled nervously. "Yeah…" He explained what happened.

Ellie was flipping out, and started spewing countless questions. "Was it a neat place? I always thought that she would live a beautiful, neat, but at the same time cozy apartment in a high rise building. Ooh, did you get her address?"

"Yes, it was pretty neat. It's a nice apartment, she lives with her sister and her cousin, but they're currently in Norway. That's what she told me."

"And her address?" Ellie asked, her eyes wide and full of stalker potential.

"I don't know," Jack lied. He had memorized the address, and put it in his phone, too.

"Did you get her phone number? Email address?"

"Ellie!"

"What?"

"You're acting as if I was planning to ask her out or something!"

"How so?"

"Well you asked about the phone number and email address."

"I just wanted a way to contact her," Ellie replied. "How did you interpret that as 'asking her out'?"

"I-" Jack began to say, but his voice broke off. "I don't know."

Ellie raised her eyebrows.

"You should go to sleep," Jack pretended to check his nonexistent watch. "It's way past your bedtime."

"Jack, I know that you don't have a watch on your wrist."

"That doesn't change the fact that you should be going to sleep."

"I'm almost 12 years old, why do I still have a bedtime?"

"No questions."

"I just want to check my email, or maybe chat with some friends, or-"

"Sleep," Jack said, and it sounded like a command.

"But I-"

"Sleep."

That was all Jack said before he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Elsa was strumming the baritone ukulele, when her phone rang. She jotted down the final line of notes and lyrics into her notebook and answered the phone.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hi Elsa!" Anna said. "How's it going back home? Watcha doing?"

Elsa frowned. Anna sounded a lot less enthusiastic compared to the other days.

"I'm finishing up a song," she replied.

"What?" Anna shrieked. "Elsa, isn't it almost midnight at home? You should be sleeping right now!"

"One, it's only eleven. Two, there's no such thing as a bedtime when you're writing songs," Elsa responded calmly. "I lost track of time because I was so into the songwriting."

"Well you should at least get _some_sleep," Anna said.

Elsa hummed in agreement before realizing something. "Anna?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you up at this hour? Time in Norway is even earlier than it is here. Isn't it 5 in the morning there?"

"Haha," Anna chuckled weakly. "About that…"

"Anna. What happened?" Elsa asked, determined to figure out what was going on.

"We got kicked out of the hotel. It was Punzie's fault!" Anna said.

"No, it wasn't!" Punzie screamed. "Anna was the one that ruined a guest's wedding cake with a priceless work of art. She also raided the kitchens and ate all of the chocolate!"

"But you were the one that painted all over the walls! The other guests on the same floor as us came back from brunch only to find that the hallways were painted and ughh," Anna retorted.

Elsa was surprised she hadn't dropped the phone while listening to the two of them bicker. "You got kicked out from the hotel? So where are you guys going to go?"

"We were thinking of just going home early," they replied, disappointment in their voices.

Elsa shook her head. "You guys only managed to last two days in Norway. Two days. Do you see why I had doubts about this trip?"

"Yea, Elsa, we're sorry," Punzie apologized. Then her tone of voice grew brighter. "But hey, you get to see us again sooner!"

Elsa smiled. "What time will you guys be back?"

"We honestly don't know…"

"Okay, but remember that I sent you my schedule for the next couple of days, so you'll know where I'll be, whenever you guys land back here."

"Alright! Bye, Elsa!" the girls said in unison.

"Bye," Elsa said, chuckling.

She returned to the ukulele and played the series of notes she wrote in her notebook. The notes made sense to her ears, and the lyrics sounded right to her mind. Finished.

Elsa texted Gary and Hans so that they knew that she completed a song. Gary immediately texted back.

G: Oh, that's great! Can't wait to hear it!

G: Wait, what are you doing up at this hour?

G: Did you stay up working on the song?

Elsa texted back.

E: Sort of. I need you to give feedback, okay? Honest feedback. Writing original songs on my own is relatively new for me...

G: You've outdone yourself. I'm sure it's going to sound spectacular.

Elsa smiled. She certainly hopes her song's good. 20 minutes later, Hans replied.

H: Ok. Don't forget to go to the hospital, on the 20th, 1:00 PM. Don't be late.

Elsa sighed. There it is again. She's not irresponsible. She's not going to forget. She's not going to be late. She took out her phone and double checked her calendar. 20th. That's the day after tomorrow. Elsa shook her head. No, it was tomorrow, due to the fact that it was currently 12:04 AM.

Elsa leaned the ukulele against her closet and tucked the notebook in her bedside drawer before falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Ellie kicked the rocks as she waited outside of her school.

"Hey, Ellie!" her best friend, Pippa, said. She was running toward her and waving. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I threw a snowball that accidentally hit Cupcake."

Ellie shivered. "How did she react?"

"Not half-bad. She didn't get mad or anything, but she did come after me with a gigantic snowball." Pippa grinned. "It was fun."

They started walking home together, and Elsa Winters was the main topic of their conversation.

"I wish I could braid my hair like hers, or at least in that super cool bun." Pippa said, looking at her cropped hair. "My hair is too short."

Suddenly, Ellie remembered. "Jack met Elsa Winters!" she cried out.

Pippa blinked. "Jack, as in your brother?"

Ellie nodded.

"Elsa Winters?"

Ellie nodded.

"_Elsa Winters?" _Pippa repeated.

"Yep."

"Tell me everything!"

So Ellie went on to tell Pippa about how her older brother met her favorite musician, Elsa Winters.

"And so when he woke up, Elsa W-"

"Ellie, watch out!" Pippa cried out.

But before Ellie could turn around and see what was approaching her at an incredibly high speed, the danger already got to her.

Something crashed into Ellie, and she landed on the pavement.

"ELLIE!" Pippa ran to Ellie. "Oh my gosh, are you okay?"

Ellie had a throbbing headache, and flashes of pain throughout her body. She looked to the left, and saw a skateboarder, clutching his skateboard and speaking frantically into his cellphone, though what he was saying wasn't clear to Ellie. It was all muffled. As her foggy vision cleared up, she looked down at herself.

"Oh dear," was all Pippa could say.

Ellie blinked. "My wrist isn't supposed to look like that, is it?"

* * *

Jack looked at his cards. He studied them. Then he studied the looks on North and Bunny's faces. But both of their poker faces were so good, he had no clue what his next move was.

"Mate, make a move," Bunny said impatiently.

"Hold on," Jack said, lifting a finger and trying to persuade them to give him a bit more time to get his playing strategy together.

Thankfully, a text bailed him out of the game.

"Sorry guys, gotta dash," Jack said, waving.

He left Bunny's "warren" and checked his text. Reading it, he almost dropped his phone.

Mom: Ellie at hospital. Please come now. Room 733.

He was already running to the bus stop.

* * *

Jack burst through the hospital doors dramatically as if he were in a movie, but as soon as he was in, he realized that the hospital was quite a maze. There were chairs outside the rooms and long hallways, with doors on both sides, and it was too much for him. He ran to the elevator and searched for the room, until he found his mom waiting in the hallway.

"Hey."

"Hey," his mom said. "Apparently she crashed into a skateboarder. Or it was the other way around. I'm not quite sure."

Jack nodded and looked through the window. Ellie's eyes were closed.

"She broke her wrist, but other than that, she only has a couple of bruises."

"Can I- am I allowed to go in?"

His mom nodded and Jack slowly walked into the room. Her eyes were shut and to be honest, her wrist looked pretty badly wounded. Jack hoped-

"Boo!" Ellie shouted. Flicking her hands out at Jack's face.

Jack backed away, shocked, but Ellie started murmuring, "Ow, ow, ow, that hurt."

Jack frowned. "You were pretending to sleep?"

Ellie forced a small smile. "Gotcha."

Jack took a seat next to Ellie. "How are you doing? How bad is the wrist?"

Ellie shrugged. "Meh. Sometimes it hurts. A lot." She turned and picked up a sharpie. "Wanna sign?"

Jack smiled. "Sure. I'm the first person, right?"

"Yep."

"I better be," Jack said, smirking as he signed the cast.

* * *

"Thank you," Elsa said as the little boy clapped.

He was on the hospital bed and on the wall behind him, the x rays and sonograms of him. The tumour in his brain stood out like a woman dressed in red at a black and white ball. It was clear and evident that the tumour could take him at any moment, but right now, he was applauding and smiling.

"How did you know that was my favorite song?" he asked.

"Lucky guess," she replied, tapping his nose.

He couldn't have been older than 7, but he dealt with his situation with chief-like bravery. Half an hour later, the boy had a MRI, and Elsa flashed him a smile before it started, and he gave her a thumbs up. She left the room, and the first person she saw was the one person she didn't want to see.

"Hi Hans," she said monotonously.

"Hey. I still don't understand why you chose this one, out of all the choices I gave you."

"What are you- how could you even say-" Elsa groaned in frustration. Kids with cancer. _Kids with cancer! _How could somebody not understand? She was performing for kids with cancer! Was that not a good thing? Was that not a helpful thing to do?

When Hans looked the other way, Elsa made a face and stormed off and walking around aimlessly. She didn't care where she was going, as long as it was away from Hans. _That heartless, irritating, aggravating son of a-. _

She paused. She heard singing. It was solo, but acapella, without any help from instruments, but nonetheless, the voice was lovely. She inched closer to the room where the deep voice was coming from. She looked through the window and saw Jack singing to a little girl with brown hair, who had a cast on her right wrist. There was no guitar, no drums, no radio in the background to sing along with. All Elsa could hear was Jack lightly clapping and tapping his feet for percussion, and his voice resonating throughout the room, but it was all she needed to smile. The way Jack was smiling. The way the girl was smiling.

* * *

"Alright," Jack said. He turned but then realized that his guitar was back home. "I guess I'll have to sing without instruments."

Ellie giggled. Jack tapped his feet to the beat of the song. The heels of his dress shoes hit the group, and he started singing.

_Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it_

_I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted_

_I fell right through the cracks_

_Now I'm trying to get back_

_Before the cool dawn run out_

_I'll be giving it my bestest_

_And nothing's gonna stop me but divine intervention._

_I reckon, it's again my turn_

_To win some or learn some._

_But I won't hesitate_

_No more, no more._

_It cannot wait,_

_I'm yours._

_Well, open up your mind and see like me,_

_Open up your plans and damn you're free._

_Look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love._

_Listen to the music of the moment, people dance and sing, we're just one big family_

_And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved, loved_

_So I won't hesitate_

_No more, no more._

_It cannot wait,_

_I'm sure._

_There's no need to complicate._

_Our time is short._

_This is our fate,_

_I'm yours….._

And so he sang. He wasn't even aware of the platinum blonde outside the room, watching contently.


	5. Chapter 5

_I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror_

_And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer_

_But my breath fogged up the glass_

_And so I drew a new face and I laughed._

_I guess what I'll be saying is there ain't no better reason_

_To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons._

_It's what we aim to do._

_Our name is our virtue._

_But I won't hesitate_

_No more, no more._

_It cannot wait,_

_I'm yours._

_Well, open up your mind and see like me,_

_Open up your plans and damn you're free._

_Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours._

_So please don't, please don't, please don't..._

_There's no need to complicate._

_'Cause our time is short._

_This oh, this oh, this is our fate._

_I'm yours._

_Oh, I'm yours_

_Oh, I'm yours_

Jack paused in the middle of the song, when he saw that Ellie's jaw dropped. Two seconds ago, she was humming along to the song, but now…

He looked in the direction of her gape and then he understood. It was Elsa Winters.

* * *

Elsa giggled when the girl saw her. The girl's jaw dropped as she stared in astonishment. Elsa smiled and gave a little wave in return. Then the girl had a mini freak out and it was so adorable, but. But Hans, being Hans, just had to ruin that moment.

"Elsa!" he yelled, striding to her. "Where've you been? I have Weaselton here with me."

Elsa tried not to scowl when she saw the old, short man. She hated him. He was the leader of the label she's a part of, and yet she hated him. He cared more about the pronunciation of his name than his work. What came second was his self proclaimed "spectacular dancing skills". Overall, Weaselton was just a fussy, cowardly, snide human being.

Two of her least favorite people, walking side by side, and wanting to talk to her. Elsa wondered if there could be a worse situation.

"Hello, Elsa, nice meeting up with you again," Weaselton said.

Elsa replied with a simple hi.

"Now that we've greeted each other, let me ask you again, where have you been? You were with me for basically four seconds, and then you were gone," Hans said.

"I just wandered off and came to this spot."

"Well I don't see you singing a song for this patient," Hans snapped.

"And she doesn't have cancer, what are you even doing here?" Weaselton added, making Elsa more furious.

Elsa scoffed. "Look, I know that I was here mainly to sing for kids with cancer, but that doesn't mean other patients don't deserve it either!"

Hans and Weaselton looked slightly appalled at the fact that one, Elsa talked back, and two, that she did it in a harsh manner.

But before they could retaliate, a woman with dark brown hair, holding a small carton of strawberry milk, walked to the group. "Sorry, I need to get to this room. My daughter's in there."

Elsa quickly shuffled out of the way to the other side of the hall, while the woman opened the door and ran to the little girl on the hospital bed. As soon as the door clicked shut, Hans spoke up.

"Well, you can't do whatever you want to. This isn't a choose-your-own-adventure type of thing."

"Why can't it be? Why can't I choose the patients I sing for? Am I not free to do that?" Elsa cried out.

"No!" Hans and Weaselton shouted back.

She raised her voice. "Are you guys hearing yourselves? Do you know what you're saying right now?"

Their expressions haven't changed a bit, still reflecting casual ignorance.

"Unbelievable," Elsa muttered under her breath. "You two have got to be the most snobby, obnoxious, and downright off-putting men on earth."

"Excuse me?" Hans looked absolutely furious, and for a second, Elsa got worried, but she stayed strong.

"Yes, I said it, and I meant it." She turned to Weaselton. "I don't even want to deal with you anymore, there are countless negative things I can say about you, right here, right now, and I'm going to start with the fact that you're an awful dancer."

Weaselton took a step back, and Elsa's confidence grew as she found her voice. "Second, your name. Everyone is going to pronounce your name wrong at some point. Either he or she is saying it for the first time, or he or she just forgot how to say it 'correctly'. The point is, stop making such a big deal about it, and throwing temper tantrums everyday, Weaselton," she said, tauntingly pronouncing his name wrong.

Weaselton stormed to the elevators, leaving Elsa and Hans in the hallways.

Hans stared at Elsa in shock. "I'm sorry, did you not realize who that was? That was the leader of the label. Of your label. Of our label. He has the power to completely-"

Elsa rolled her eyes. She couldn't stand this anymore. "You know what?! There is no 'our' anymore. You're fi-"

Hans' eyes widened in horror, and a new type of rage built in him. Elsa could see it in his eyes, and it was enough for her to shut up.

* * *

"Hi mom!" said Ellie, as she saw her mother walk into the hospital room.

"Hey mom," Jack said calmly.

Mrs. Frost smiled and handed a carton of strawberry milk to Ellie.

"Strawberry milk?!" Ellie exclaimed. "Thanks mom, you're the best," she said, hugging her mother with one arm.

Jack grinned, seeing how Ellie changes her moods so easily when she sees something she likes. For example, strawberry milk, or Elsa Winters. "Ellie, tell Mom who you saw today."

Ellie nodded and stopped sipping from the milk carton. "I saw Elsa Winters outside this room! She was in the hallway, and guess what?"

"What?" Mrs. Frost said, smiling.

"She waved at me!"

"Sweetie, that's great," she said, and pulled her daughter in for another hug. Then she pulled back hastily and looked back and forth between Jack and Ellie. "Wait, does Elsa Winters have platinum blonde hair? Tall? Slender young woman?"

Jack and Ellie nodded.

"Yep, that's her," Ellie chirped. "Isn't she pretty?"

Mrs. Frost sat up taller, with a thoughtful expression on her face. "It looked like she was having an argument with these other two men outside."

"Who were they?" Jack asked.

"I don't know."

"Did one of them have _really ugly_ red sideburns?"

"Yes."

"Shoot." Jack practically leapt out of his seat and ran to the window. He saw an old man with glasses walk angrily to the elevators. Then a few meters away, he saw Elsa Winters and Hans, both looking really annoyed. Hans then lifted a hand to tightly grasp Elsa's neck, to strangle her.

Jack swung the door open and rushed down to where Elsa was, but someone beat him to her.

* * *

Elsa struggled to breath. Hans was choking her, and she was scared out of her mind.

"Hey!" she heard a familiar voice call out.

Immediately, Hans loosened his grip on her neck. They both turned around to see who it was.

But as soon as Hans spun around, he was greeted by Anna's fist, and knocked to the floor.

"Hands off my sister," Anna shouted.

Elsa was so relieved she thought she could cry. She rushed forward to hug her sister. Anna let go of her suitcase to hug her back.

"You're back," Elsa gasped.

"Yep!" Anna replied.

"Where's Punzie?"

"Flynn was waiting for her at the airport, holding up her tiara and waving it around," Anna said.

Elsa nodded. She remembered the tiara that Punzie had. It had a bunch of gems and jewels, but it was simply a prop from the school play Punzie starred in. She kept the tiara for sentimental reasons (it was the first time she met Flynn).

"Apparently he managed to swipe it from her bag before we left for the airport, in hopes that she would notice that it was missing and come back as soon as possible," Anna said, shaking her head. "We let him believe that was the reason why we came back early. So they went back together, and I came here."

"Thank you so much for saving me," Elsa said, hugging her sister once more, and holding on tight.

Hans got up, groaning.

Elsa finished what she began to say. "Hans, you're fired."

Hans groaned again.

Anna smiled. "Let's go home."

Elsa returned the smile. "Okay, but there's one thing I have to do first."

* * *

Elsa chuckled as the little girl squealed. "Hi I'm-"

"Elsa Winters, I know! You're my idol! My favorite singer!" Ellie squealed.

"She won't shut up about you," Jack said. "This is my little sister, Ellie." He turned. "That's my mom, Gwynne." Then he gestured to a man waving from the tablet on Mrs. Frost's lap. "That's my dad. He's in the military."

Elsa waved back to everyone, and saluted to Jack's father.

"Can you sign my cast?" Ellie asked.

"Sure," Elsa said, pulling a blue pen out of her bag to put her loopy signature on Ellie's cast.

"Elsa, are you going to sing a song?" Ellie asked hopefully.

Elsa laughed again, "Yea. This is a song that's going to be in my new album, and you guys are gonna get a sneak peek."

_The reason being somebody in this room inspired some of the song lyrics, _Elsa thought to herself. She picked up her baritone ukulele and started strumming, as Ellie clapped and cheered.

_In the morning when you wake up_

_I like to believe you are thinking of me_

_And when the sun comes through your window_

_I like to believe you've been dreaming of me_

_Dreaming mmm mmm_

_I know_

_'cause I'd spend half this morning_

_Thinking about the t-shirt you sleep in_

_I should know_

_'cause I'd spend all the whole day_

_Listening to your message I'm keeping and never deleting_

_When I saw you,_

_Everyone knew_

_I liked the effect that you had on my eyes_

_But no one else heard_

_The weight of your words_

_Or felt the effect that they have on my mind_

_Falling mmm mmm_

_I know_

_'cause I'd spend half this morning_

_Thinking about the t-shirt you sleep in_

_I should know_

_'cause I'd spend all the whole day_

_Listening to your message I'm keeping and never deleting_

Elsa's voice sent shivers down Jack's spine, and it was so breathtaking and beautiful. Ellie was ecstatic due to the fact that Elsa Winters was in the same room as her, and she just sang a full length song for her.

They all applauded after Elsa finished her song, and Ellie was clapping the loudest.

"Say, sometimes Jack sings lullabies for Ellie," Mrs. Frost said.

"More like all the time," Mr. Frost added, chuckling from the tablet.

"Maybe you two can do a duet?" Mrs. Frost suggested.

Jack turned a few (nope, 50) shades pinker.

"Sure," Elsa said casually. She turned to Jack. "What song do you want to sing?"

"May I?" Jack asked, gesturing to the ukulele. Elsa nodded and handed it to him. She moved to sit next to him, and the inches that separated them made Jack shaky.

"Um, do you know the song Cold Coffee?" Jack suggested nervously.

"Yea, Ed Sheeran," Elsa said, grinning. Jack swore her smile lit up the room. "I love his music," Elsa added.

"Me too." Jack said, silently thanking the world for blessing them with common interests. He started singing and strumming the baritone ukulele.

_She's like cold coffee in the morning_

_I'm drunk off last nights whisky and coke_

_She'll make me shiver without warning_

_And make me laugh as if I'm in on the joke_

Elsa jumped in and started singing along with him in perfect harmony.

_And you can stay with me forever_

_Or you could stay with me for now_

_Tell me if I'm wrong _

_Tell me if I'm right_

_Tell me if you need a loving hand_

_To help you fall asleep tonight_

_Tell me if I know_

_Tell me if I do_

_Tell me how to fall in love the way you want me to_

_I'll wake with coffee in the morning_

_But she prefers two lumps of sugar and tea_

_Outside the day is up and calling_

_But I don't have to be so, please go back to sleep_

_Stay with me forever_

_Or you could stay with me for now_

_Tell me if I'm wrong_

_Tell me if I'm right_

_Tell me if you need a loving hand_

_To help you fall asleep tonight_

_Tell me if I know_

_Tell me if I do_

_Tell me how to fall in love the way you want me to_

_'Cause I love the way you wake me up_

_For goodness sake will my love not be enough?_

_Tell me if I'm wrong_

_Tell me if I'm right_

_Tell me if you need a loving hand _

_To help you fall asleep tonight_

_Tell me if I know_

_Tell me if I do_

_Tell me how to fall in love the way you want me to_

_Tell me if I'm wrong_

_Tell me if I'm right_

_Tell me if you need a loving hand_

_To help you fall asleep tonight_

As the song ended, everyone clapped, and the applause was louder than the first.

"_That_, son, was amazing," Mr. Frost said.

"Thanks, Dad."

"I'm going to go, my sister texted me," Elsa announced. "It was nice meeting all of you." She tapped Ellie's nose. "Your wrist will get better soon."

"Bye!" Ellie said.

Elsa waved goodbye and left.

Ellie was still flipping, even after Elsa left.

"That made my day. You guys are both soooooo good at singing!" Ellie commented. Mrs. Frost nodded in agreement. "When you two sing together it's like angels singing from above!"

Jack's eyes widened. "Now, now, Ellie. I wouldn't take it that far," he said.

"Hmm, but you guys should sing together more often…"

"Well Elsa probably has stuff to do. I'm sure she's busy and working on songs for her next album. She doesn't have time for me," Jack said quietly.

His eyes shifted, and he saw a blue pen on the small table. "Is that her pen?" he asked.

"I think so," Ellie replied. "Ooh! Can I keep it?"

"What? No, it's her pen."

"Yes, it's something I can keep to remember this day! Please?"

Mr. and Mrs. Frost laughed.

Jack got up and took the pen. "I'm gonna return it to her."

* * *

Elsa stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor.

"Hold the elevator!" A voice shouted.

Elsa attacked the open door button repeatedly, to make sure the elevator stayed.

It was Jack. His hair was disheveled as usual, and he was gasping for air. He held up her blue pen. "You… left your pen… in the room," he said.

Elsa started laughing. "It's just a pen. You didn't have to run like that to return something as easily replaceable as a pen to me."

Jack smiled as he listened contently to her laugh.

"_Just_ a pen?" he asked, astonished. "Princess, this is _your _pen. You're Elsa Winters. Do you have any idea how much this pen which you think so lowly of would cost on eBay?"

Elsa's lips curved upwards. "Nope. How much?"

Jack thought about it for a second. "I don't know for sure, but north of five hundred, given your popularity right now."

They both laughed, and Jack handed the pen back to Elsa.

His expression grew serious. "Sorry for bringing this up, but earlier, I saw your manager bothering you. Well, bothering is an understatement. Are you okay?"

Elsa smiled. She was overjoyed. He was worried for her. He cares about her! "I'm fine. My sister took care of him. He's fired."

"Thank God."

They shared a grin.

"Wait, your younger sister? Anna?" Jack thought of the picture frame hanging on the wall in Elsa's apartment. Anna didn't look like the feisty type.

"Yep. Let's just say that she has a pretty sweet right hook."

"Alright." Jack paused. "Do you do this all the time? Go to the hospital and sing for kids?"

"Sometimes. But I also do performances for charity."

Jack wondered if she could be more perfect.

"There's actually a free performance on Tuesday, but if we reach a certain number of people in the audience, half a million dollars will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation." Elsa told him.

_She helps kids' dreams come true, too? Yep, she just got more perfect, _Jack thought.

"You should go," she said. "Bring Ellie, too! Like I said, it's free."

"Sure," Jack replied, keeping it cool on the outside, but inwardly elated because he was personally invited to an event by Elsa Winters.

He noticed that he had been standing at the elevator doorway the entire time, blocking the sensors and never quite letting the door close. He stepped out of the way. "I should probably let you get back to your sister."

Elsa chuckled. "Bye, Jack. It was nice singing with you today."

"Bye."

Elsa waved a final time as the silver elevator door closed, separating them, and signaling goodbye.


	6. Chapter 6

"Say, Elsa," Anna said, inhaling the morning air as they walked down the city streets. "Would you consider having me as your bodyguard?"

Elsa rolled her eyes.

"You know, I could have a pair of super cool sunglasses, and stand next to you, looking buff and-"

"I think Kristoff can pull off the buff bodyguard look better," Elsa commented.

Anna pondered it for a second. "Point taken."

"I wouldn't hire you or Kristoff. You guys both have your own jobs."

Anna sighed. "Once again, point taken."

Elsa smiled. "But I guess Kristoff could be your bodyguard, since you guys work the same shifts at the same coffee shop."

Anna chuckled. "But I don't want Kristoff to actually get hurt for me. I'm fine with just knowing that he would catch a grenade for me, but if it actually happened, I don't know how I would deal with it, I can only imagine how devastated I'd be."

Elsa grinned. "Since when did you become such a deep spirit?"

Anna smiled and waved it off. "The only thing deep about me is how deeply in love I am with Kristoff," she said dreamily.

They stopped in front of the coffee shop.

Elsa nudged her sister. "Go to work, lovebird."

* * *

"Superb! Brava! Brava!" Gary said.

Elsa grinned and removed the headphones, before walking to the counter on the other side of the recording studio. It was one huge, spacious room.

"That song was absolutely wondersome," Gary said. "You're a natural."

"Any more feedback?"

"No constructive criticism, just praise," he said. Gary took out a notepad from his back pocket. "What was the name of the song again?"

"Tee shirt."

"Awesome. Sorry for asking again."

"That's okay."

She had just finished recording her new song in her album. Gary apparently was a huge fan of it, and it was enough for her. Elsa sighed and took a sip of her tea before placing the cup back on the counter.

"Gary, I have to tell you something."

His expression grew serious. "Go ahead."

"I fired Hans."

"Thank the lord, I swear that douche was driving me-"

"-and I also want to drop out of Weaselton's group."

Gary looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I want to stay a part of the bigger label, under Walt Disney, but I just don't want to be in Weaselton's sublabel."

"Never really liked that old prick, either," Gary grumbled. "Okay, first, you need a new manager. Then maybe you two could discuss a sublabel you want to join. Capisce?"

"Sounds good," Elsa said, glad that she was understood up to a certain level. She knew that Weaselton always gets on others' nerves, but her hate for him ran deeper than that.

* * *

"What?!" Ellie screamed.

Jack sighed. Did he have to repeat it? Again? "Elsa Winters asked if we wanted to go to-"

"OH MY GOSH WE WERE JUST PERSONALLY INVITED TO AN EVENT BY ELSA WINTERS!" Ellie cried out, flailing her arms around.

"Ellie stop, you're going to hurt your wrist!" Jack said, trying to get his sister to stop moving. "Stay calm."

"I CAN'T," she replied. "ELSA WINTERS JUST ASDNVIJEWFIOJOIVJGHI-"

Jack gave up. There was no way to contain his sister.

Then, Mrs. Frost came back into the hospital room.

"Oh, thank you, please keep Ellie in control she's having a full fledged freak out right now, and I don't- I can't-" Jack sighed and placed a hand of each of his mother's shoulders. "Just please take care of her. I need to step out. There's way too much fangirling in this room," he said, glaring at his sister, who was still in freak out mode.

Mrs. Frost blinked. "Okay…."

Jack left the room and went to get some water. Suddenly, his phone buzzed, and he reached to pull his phone out of his pocket. There was a new text message. Jack's eyes widened. It was from Elsa Winters.

_Hi, this is Elsa Winters, the event is at 150 Prince Street, on Tuesday, starting at 5:30 PM. Hopefully, I'll see you and Ellie there!_

Jack circled back to Ellie's hospital room, and after a while, made the bad decision of showing Ellie the text. Obviously, it led to even more fangirling and freak outs.

* * *

Elsa carded her fingers through her hair, trying to think. She was sitting in the living room, thinking of someone who could be her new manager.

Punzie, on the other hand, had a rope secured around her waist, hanging from a beam on the ceiling. She smiled as she took some paint from her paint palette, and started painting on the walls of the apartment. Flynn, was also hanging from a beam on the ceiling, right next to her, watching as his girlfriend painted.

Punzie had convinced Elsa to let her paint on the walls. She was complaining for a while, whining about how she didn't get to paint all of the hallways at The Thief, just the floor that they were on. Elsa rolled her eyes, but she eventually gave in, sympathizing for her cousin who _only _painted the hallways for one floor.

"How about Jasmine?" Punzie suggested.

"I think she's too busy. She just married Aladdin," Elsa replied.

"Ooh! I know this hook hand thug-" Flynn starting saying, but Elsa cut him off.

"I'm _not_ going to hire one of your thug friends."

Flynn groaned. "Look, if you're going to be this picky, you're never going to find a manager."

"No," Elsa said, determined. "I'm going to find a manager. Give it some time, I'll find one."

* * *

Ellie and Pippa snapped open their umbrellas and started walking home.

Ellie stared at her red rain boots and starting humming "Wings". Pippa joined in. Together, they hummed in unison, twirling their umbrellas as they walked down the rain soaked streets. The song put them in a happy mood, despite the weather.

At the end of the song, Pippa couldn't help but sigh in appreciation. "Isn't Elsa Winters such a songwriting genius?" she asked. "I mean, she wrote this song, and-"

"Yes! She is!" Ellie said, nodding. "Actually, when I was at the hospital-"

"Oh my gosh! You saw her there?"

"Yup."

"Did she sing for you?"

"Yup."

"Which song?"

"A new song. It's going to be in her new album," Ellie said as a matter of factly.

Pippa jumped. "You have no idea how jealous I am! How was the song?"

"Amazing. It doesn't get that loud, it's a very acoustic song…" and Ellie rambled on and on about the song.

Then she told Pippa about the charity event.

"Do you want to go with us?" Ellie asked.

"Yes!" Pippa replied immediately.

"We should go there early, maybe right after we get out of school. We can get better seats," Ellie suggested.

Pippa nodded. "I'm so excited!"

"Me too."

* * *

"So there goes that loser Hans," Jack said, finishing the story about what happened at the hospital.

North smiled and passed around more drinks. "Cheers."

"For finally saying goodbye to that douchebag," Bunny said.

And so they drank.

North remembered something and spoke up. "I have to run errands tomorrow. Can you guys close the bar for me?"

"Sure, mate," Bunny said, and at the same time, Jack said, "Sorry, I'm busy,"

North raised his eyebrows. "What are you going to do tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow's Tuesday, and Ellie wants me to take her to an Elsa Winters performance. It's a charity event kind of thing."

Bunny and North looked at each other. Bunny waggled his eyebrows. "What did I say about a crush on a particular singer?"

Jack looked bewildered. "What? I'm just there to watch over Ellie and Pippa."

"Sure, mate, whatever you say…"

"You guys have to drop this. I don't like Elsa Winters like that!" Jack shouted.

"Alright, Jack. If you're _that_ uncomfortable with us saying that, we'll stop," North said with a serious face.

"Thank you," Jack said. He checked the time. "I should get going. Bye!"

Jack waved once before leaving the bar.

Bunny turned to North. "You weren't serious about that, right?"

North chuckled. "Of course not. We'll be making fun of him until the end of time."

Bunny grinned and lifted his drink. "Cheers, mate."

They clinked their drinks.

* * *

Elsa was walking back from the cafe. She was just getting more of her favorite tea. However, the paparazzi found her. She could see the cameras flashing and hear the clicking as they snapped photos of her.

One of them approached her, and Elsa was taken aback. "Woah."

"Hi."

"Hi," Elsa said.

"Can you tell us about the event on Tuesday?"

Elsa smiled. This was a topic she was more than willing to elaborate on. "Well I'm going to perform, along with several other artists, but it's all about the charity. If we reach a certain number of audience members, half a million dollars will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation." She turned to the camera. "The event is completely free, so you guys should all go."

By now, multiple people were gathered around her, all asking their own questions, most of which, were rather random.

"Who else is going to perform tomorrow?"

"Do you meditate?"

"If you had to choose a chocolate dessert, what would it be?"

"What kind of tea are you drinking?"

Elsa chuckled and answered the questions.

* * *

Ellie tapped her feet and drummed her pencil on her notebook. Her eyes were constantly shifting from her notebook, to the textbook, to the window, then to the clock. Somehow, her eyes always manage to linger when she's looking at the clock. 3:11 PM.

Ellie looked over at Pippa, who was all the way on the other side of the room. She caught her gaze and mouthed, "Less than five minutes to go."

Pippa nodded, but when the teacher walked towards her, she went back to "working on the classwork".

Ellie shook her head, but couldn't blame Pippa. Ellie couldn't focus on her classwork either. It was the last class of the day. She couldn't wait to leave and go see Elsa Winters perform.

Ellie looked at her algebra textbook, and started to graph the parabola, but she couldn't quite focus. Her eyes flickered to the clock again.

"Ellie Frost, if you look at the clock one more time, I'm going to assign you extra homework," the teacher said sternly.

Almost instantaneously, Ellie snapped back to working on the classwork, while the rest of the class snickered. She finally completed the parabola, then started working on the next problem. She was so tempted to lift her head and check the clock. But she didn't. She just waited for the bell. And waited. And waited. It seemed like forever, but eventually, Ellie heard the bell, and she shot up from her seat and cheered.

"Yes!"

"Ellie Frost!" the teacher shouted. "Complete pages 42-50 in addition to the homework you were assigned today!"

As the class guffawed, Ellie sighed and wrote down the extra homework pages.

Pippa walked to Ellie and waited as she packed up. "If you had just waited to step into the hallway, you could've gotten away with it."

Ellie slung her backpack over her shoulders and shrugged. "It's going to be worth it."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

* * *

Jack cursed. He was definitely going to be late. The traffic reports said that he would be stuck in heavy traffic if he took the car, so he decided to take the train to the event instead.

Evidently, both trains and cars were bad options. The trains had major delays, and he was stuck listening to two women who were bickering at the top of their lungs. Apparently, one woman accidently stepped on the other's supposedly $500 shoes, but the woman thought she did it on purpose, so she kicked the woman's shin. Hard.

So this all led to more kicking and arguing, while the rest of the passengers watched the scene, rolled their eyes, or even slept right through the loud fight. In Jack's case, however, he was mainly upset because the train wasn't moving. The noisy argument only irritated him more. So when the train finally moved and pulled into the next train station, he was relieved at first. Then one of the fighting women stepped off, but the second woman followed her, wanting to finish the fight. So they stood there, kicking each other, blocking the train doors, one woman standing on the station platform, the other still on the train. Jack groaned, pressing his forehead to the pole. Then, he made a decision (without much thought, to be honest), and pushed past the women and left the train station.

Running there would be faster than taking the train, right?

* * *

Elsa peeked at the crowd from backstage. They definitely reached the goal. She was immediately relieved. The charity was going to get the money after all. They were going to receive money, to help kids' dreams come true, to help kids with illnesses, to help all kids around the world.

_Okay, okay, focus, _Elsa thought to herself. _Stay calm, perform well. _

Her phone buzzed.

Text Message from Anna:

_Good luck, sis. :) _

Elsa smiled and put her phone in her pocket before walking out onto the stage.

The audience greeted her with cheers and a round of applause. The cameras were there, too, showing the performance live on the television.

Elsa took her place behind the microphone and tested it. As the audience simmered down, she started speaking.

"Hello. First off all, I want to thank all of you for coming here. Thanks to you guys, many children all over the world are having wishes granted. Thanks to you, kids with illnesses are being treated. I want you guys to know that you're being a part of something wonderful, making miracles happen everyday. So without further ado, here's the first song."

The crowd cheered as the music started playing and Elsa started singing.

_We stood so tall we caught a plane_

_by the wing and held it_

_Until we found it a place to land_

_We layed across the ocean wide_

_Bridged the gap in record time_

_The people traveled across and kissed our hands_

_All for love we become_

_Larger than lifesize, wondersome_

_Great in the eyes of someone_

_Larger than lifesize we become_

_Great in the eyes of someone_

_We smiled so bright the sun went down_

_Rose above the maddening crowd_

_We lit the streets with the sweetest glow_

_We held the globe and made it turn_

_Wandered through the universe_

_The men of science observed through telescopes_

_All for love, we become_

_Larger than lifesize, wondersome_

_Great in the eyes of someone_

_Larger than lifesize we become,_

_Great in the eyes of someone_

_Larger than lifesize we become_

_Larger than lifesize we become_

_Great in the eyes of someone_

As the music ended, Elsa's eyes flickered around, looking for a particular person. She saw Ellie and her friend, who both freaked out when she waved at them. But their freak out was barely audible over the sound of the applause. Then there was the loud sound of the doors creaking wide open and then slamming shut, that was louder than all of this.

* * *

Jack was panting; running all the way here turned out to be a pretty bad idea. Then something queer crossed his mind. When he got here, he could hear the applause from outside the closed doors. Now, it was completely silent. He looked up, and realized that everyone in the room turned to look at him. Even Elsa, who was looking stunning on the stage.

Jack slowly backed away and reached for the door, but somehow they locked and he couldn't leave. Oh how he wished he could just become invisible now!

Elsa, thinking quickly to put him out of his misery, spoke up. "H-hey, Jack!"

Some people in the audience turned to look at Elsa, Jack included.

"Sing with me?" she asked.

Jack lost his voice. _Did Elsa Winters just ask me to sing a song with her?_

Somewhere in the audience, two girls, one of them being Jack's little sister (hint hint) started shouting.

"Jack, what are you thinking?! Elsa Winters just asked you to sing with her, get your butt up on stage now!"

"Come on, Jack! Go sing with her!"

So it was only natural that the entire audience, even the cameramen (who were broadcasting everything live) started shouting, "Sing with her!"

Jack ran up onto the stage and stood next to Elsa.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hey."

"Are you okay?"

"Evidently running all the way here from 21st street was not a good idea, but other than that, I'm fine," he replied.

She giggled.

"I'll spare you the verbally gory details of a fight on the train, and simply say that trains just suck at getting to places on time."

She nodded in agreement. They stared at each other for a while, but then Elsa snapped out of it and asked a backstage member for a guitar.

"What song are we singing?" he asked her.

"Well I don't want to spoil it for the audience... " she said, before whispering the song title to him.

He nodded. "Love that song."

Elsa was about to start singing, but then she frowned.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

Elsa turned to the backstage crew. "Do we have another-"

"No," the stage manager said, holding back a teasing smile. "You two are going to have to share a mic."

Elsa sighed.

Jack, who was standing next to her, looked a bit shaky and nervous.

"Stage fright?" she asked.

Jack tried to laugh it off. "What?" he said, chuckling. He scoffed. "No. No, I don't have stage fright."

"Whatever you say."

"Okay," she said to the audience. "Here's the second song of the night, which I'm going to sing with my friend, Jack Frost."

Jack smiled and waved at the audience before Elsa began to play the guitar and they started singing together.

_Let it go,_

_Let it roll right off your shoulder_

_Don't you know_

_The hardest part is over_

_Let it in,_

_Let your clarity define you_

_In the end_

_We will only just remember how it feels_

_Our lives are made_

_In these small hours_

_These little wonders,_

_These twists &amp; turns of fate_

_Time falls away,_

_But these small hours,_

_These small hours still remain_

_Let it slide,_

_Let your troubles fall behind you_

_Let it shine_

_Until you feel it all around you_

_And I don't mind_

_If it's me you need to turn to_

_We'll get by,_

_It's the heart that really matters in the end_

_Our lives are made_

_In these small hours_

_These little wonders,_

_These twists &amp; turns of fate_

_Time falls away,_

_But these small hours,_

_These small hours still remain_

_All of my regret_

_Will wash away some how_

_But I can not forget_

_The way I feel right now_

_In these small hours_

_These little wonders_

_These twists &amp; turns of fate_

_These twists &amp; turns of fate_

_Time falls away but these small hours_

_These small hours, still remain,_

_Still remain_

_These little wonders_

_These twists &amp; turns of fate_

_Time falls away_

_But these small hours_

_These little wonders still remain_

The audience applauded, possibly the loudest round of applause and the most standing ovations of the night.

* * *

"Well that was definitely a successful night," the stage manager said.

"I'll say," the representative of the Make-A-Wish Foundation replied, smiling. He turned to Elsa. "Thank you, again, for agreeing to do this."

"No problem," she said, shaking his hand.

"I'd also like to thank your boyfriend, here," he said, and immediately, Jack and Elsa shook their heads.

"He's not my-"

"Oh we're not-"

"Not my boyfriend," Elsa said.

"Oh. Sorry about that. Well thank you too, young man."

"No problem," Jack replied.

As the representative left, clearly in a giddy mood, Jack walked to Elsa.

"Well that was fun," he said.

"Yea, that was fun."

"But I am curious, how did you get my number?"

"Hm?" Elsa looked confused at first, but then she caught on. "Oh, the text. I was going home, then I realized that you didn't know the address, and every audience member counted, so I asked North for your number."

Jack nodded. "Well thanks to North, you have my number, and I saved your contact info from the text onto my phone."

"Yes, we have North to thank for some oh-so-useful contact information," she said with a hint of sarcasm.

"You're saying that now, princess, but I promise you, by tomorrow you'll oh-so-glad that you had my number," he replied.

Elsa laughed, making Jack heart stop. "How can you be oh-so-sure of that?" she asked.

He took a deep breath and his heartbeat resumed as his courage grew. "You'll see," he answered, before he skipped away.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey Jack, where were you?" Ellie asked. Pippa had already left, and so Ellie was waiting outside for Jack.

"I was just hanging around backstage," Jack replied casually. They started walking to the train station.

Ellie groaned. "You talked to Elsa didn't you?"

Jack nodded.

"Awww, why didn't you bring me with you?"

"Well I-"

Ellie started poking Jack repeatedly. "Ugh, Jack, you're so mean!"

"Somebody's jealous…"

"Of _course_ I'm jealous! You got to talk to Elsa Winters! Again! She's my idol! Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for that time in the hospital, but you got to talk to her twice!" She paused for thought. "No, three times! Arghh you always talk to her, it's like you're already her boyfriend, or something!"

"Woah, Ellie, calm down. Look, I'm sorry I didn't bring you backstage to talk to her again. Heck, I didn't even know that was going to happen tonight. I never expected to be asked to go onstage."

Ellie sighed. "Sorry for raging."

Jack then thought about what Ellie said. "Wait, Ellie, did you really think I looked like her boyfriend?"

"Huh?"

"Ten seconds ago, you said that-"

"Oh that." Ellie furrowed her brows in thought. "Umm… if you weren't my brother, I guess I'd assume that you were her boyfriend…" she said.

Jack couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

Ellie's eyes widened. "Wait, Jack, do you like Elsa Winters? Do you _like her_ like her?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, I-" His eyes shifted from side to side nervously.

"Don't lie."

Jack looked away. "Oh heyyy, it's the train station, we should go there, right? Hahaha…." he said, desperately trying to avoid the question.

Ellie rolled her eyes and followed Jack down into the train station.

* * *

The next day, Punzie and Flynn were out on a date, and that left Elsa and Anna lounging in the living room.

Elsa scrolled through her contacts list, looking for a potential manager.

Anna was sitting comfortably on a tufted armchair. She skimmed through her extensive friends list on Facebook, trying to help her sister.

"Ah ha!" Anna shouted out loud.

Elsa jumped up. "What? What happened?"

"Mulan could be your manager!"

Elsa sat up and thought about it. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made.

Anna's smile grew. "I'm such a genius, right?"

"I'll admit it's not a _bad _idea."

"Aww, Elsa, just say it. I'm a genius. Mulan is the perfect person, no other human being could possibly be a better manager," she said as she walked to her sister. "And when you ask Mulan to be your manager, and she agrees, who do you thank for finding you the best manager in the world?"

Elsa smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Me," Anna answered triumphantly. She took a seat next to Elsa. "What are you waiting for? Call Mulan."

Elsa nodded and dialled Mulan's number. Anna listened to her sister talk.

"Hi. It's Elsa."

Anna listened to the slight buzzing from the phone that was Mulan's voice.

"Yea, I need a new manager, and I was wondering if you could-" Elsa paused. "Oh," she said, sounding crestfallen. "Ok, bye."

Anna frowned. "What happened?"

Elsa hung up, and Anna asked again. "What happened? What did she say?"

Elsa placed her phone down. "Well she's busy, Mulan and Shang are planning a wedding."

"Wow. First Jasmine, then Mulan. Guess everybody's getting married these days…"

Suddenly, the door swung open so violently, Elsa thought it would break off the hinges.

"I SWEAR I AM NEVER GOING TO GET MARRIED, AND NO ONE, NO ONE, CAN MAKE ME!" Merida shouted as she stormed into the apartment. "FUCK MARRIAGE, MARRIAGE IS STUPID!"

Elsa and Anna exchanged a look while Merida vented about marriage.

"NEVER EVER EVER GOING TO GET MARRIED!"

"Merida, calm down. _Calm down_."

Merida plopped down on the couch and buried her face in a throw pillow, screaming into it.

Elsa and Anna tiptoed around her and pulled in her luggage.

"I think her trip back to DunBroch didn't go so well…" Anna said to Elsa.

"You don't say," Elsa replied.

* * *

After a bunch of screaming and pillow punching, Merida finally calmed down.

"So what happened?" Anna asked, handing Merida an apple.

Merida took a bite and spoke with her mouth full. To a random person, it would sound like gibberish, but Elsa and Anna had become experts at comprehending Merida's full mouth speaking.

"So they wanted to arrange a marriage for me, and I- I don't want to- I can't deal w-ARGHH!"

"It's okay, Merida, you're back here now. Forget DunBroch," Anna said. Elsa gave her an icy glare.

Anna shook her head. "I mean, no don't forget about DunBroch, I mean, forgetting your home? That's crazy!"

Elsa sighed.

Merida groaned and slouched in her seat, her curls of fiery red hair bouncing on her shoulders and back. She slid off the couch and sat on the floor. "I just want to doze off," she said. After a millisecond she added, "And boss people around."

Anna perked up at that. "Ooh! You can boss Elsa around! She needs a new manager since she fired Hans and I punched him in the face, but that doesn't really matter, what's important is that you can boss Elsa around!"

Elsa's eyes widened and she glared at Anna again.

Merida sat up and turned to Elsa. "Really?!" she asked, smiling.

"I-"

Merida jumped up. "I'd be honored to be your new manager," she said. She started walking to the spare room, dragging her luggage with her. "I'm going to start right now," she said excitedly.

As soon as Merida shut the door to the spare room, Elsa spun around to look at Anna.

"_Anna, _what did you just do?" she asked.

"Um, I found you a new manager?"

"No, you made Merida my manager!"

"Is that bad?"

Elsa stood up. "Yes, of course it's bad. She's my best friend and she's awesome, but sometimes, and you have to agree with me on this, she's short-tempered, rebellious and unruly. What if she's not that good of a manag-"

The door opened and Merida stepped out, smiling. "Guys, come here."

Anna skipped to the spare room, happily avoiding Elsa's wrath. Elsa sighed and followed her.

Merida had a bunch of tabs open on her laptop, all of which were about Elsa's career and her job.

Elsa was so surprised, she was speechless for a minute or two. Then, she said, "Wow, Merida. You're really taking this job seriously." She took a closer look at the laptop. "And you're doing a really good job at it," she continued, smiling.

"Thank you," Merida replied.

She'd checked on Elsa's statistics: her performances, her fans, her albums, her songs, everything.

Merida spun side to side in semicircles in her office chair. "So do you want to work on a project like a movie soundtrack or do you just want to work on your new album?"

"Wow. You guys mean business. I'm gonna step out," Anna said, as she eased her way out of the room.

"Actually, before we talk about that, I want to switch sublabels."

Merida stopped spinning. "Why?"

"I _really don't_ like Weaselton."

"Alright, I get you," Merida said. "So whose sublabel do you wanna hop to?"

"I'm not sure yet. Do you have any suggestions?"

Merida opened up yet another tab on her laptop. "Alright, how about Triton?"

Elsa shook her head.

"Mickey Mouse?"

"Not really my style."

"Mushu and Cri-Kee?"

Elsa looked up and hummed thoughtfully. "I think he was in my East Asian History class in college," Elsa said. "He can be overconfident at times, but he's also caring, kind, and determined."

"So you wanna join his group?"

Elsa nodded.

Merida quickly typed and sent an email, her fingers flying quickly across the keyboard. "Done."

Elsa blinked. "Wow you work _really_ fast."

"I know," Merida replied, taking another bite of her apple.

* * *

For the sake of "getting to know each other better", Elsa agreed to answer questions from Jack. He was the one who suggested it of course, so here she was texting him.

She was reclined on the couch, her head on the cushions and her legs dangling over the armrest. Her phone was in her hands as she sent and received texts.

(**Elsa will be underlined, and Jack will be italicized)**

_Okay, princess, how about something most people don't know about you?_

Elsa thought about it for a minute before replying: I can't skip.

_What?_

I don't know how to skip.

_What?_

Elsa sighed, before typing: You know that thing you did a few nights ago? The step-hop maneuver?

_Yes, I know what skipping is, I just can't believe that you don't know how to skip! _

Elsa grinned.

How about you?

_I have a super annoying little sister._

Elsa snorted.

I knew that already; I've met your sister.

_Yea, but I bet you didn't know about the "super annoying" part. _

I assumed. My sister is annoying, too.

That didn't count, so go again.

_Okay. I like mice. _

Elsa cringed the second she read the word "mice".

She didn't reply, but Jack texted.

_Alright, I take it you're not very fond of mice?_

No, I'm not.

_Aww, but they're so cute! _

Elsa rolled her eyes.

Well, they're not cute when they're on the streets, literally scurrying along less than a foot away from you.

_They also happen to be fascinating. They're constant eaters, and they'll eat almost anything. _

Elsa rolled her eyes again.

_In Ancient Greece, people kept white mice in Apollo's temples to _honor _him, princess. Did you know that?_

No, but that doesn't change my opinion on mice.

_For your information, people respected mice in ancient cultures. They cooked mice to cure illnesses. _

Ew, gross.

Elsa could almost hear him cackling, wherever he was.

_Why do mice need oiling?_

Elsa sighed. Another one of his stupid jokes.

_Because they squeak! _

Elsa rolled off the couch, as she read that. It was way worse than his other jokes. However, even though his jokes were stupid as heck, she knew that he would never stop telling them. She lay on the carpet, before picking up her phone from the couch and texting a reply, with a goofy grin on her face.

* * *

Merida blew a curl off to the side of her face.

Being a manager was hard work, but she was doing this for Elsa.

Merida checked her email again, and cheered; Mushu had just replied and approved of Elsa joining his sublabel. Quickly, she jotted down a few dates on a post it and added it to the wall full of sticky notes: all reminders related to Elsa's career.

Geez, she's only been her manager for less than 6 hours, and already, she was exhausted. Suddenly, she smiled. Time for archery.

Merida walked over to the bed and reached under it, where her bow and arrow usually were. But nothing was there.

"Elsa?" she hollered over Elsa's giggling in the living room. "Where's my bow?"

Merida heard Elsa cough before she replied, "It's in my room, I can get it for you-"

"No, I got it," Merida hollered.

She made her way across the hallway to Elsa's room. She found her bow on the top shelf of Elsa's bookcase. _How in the world did it get up there?_

Merida prepared herself to jump up and swipe the bow down to her. (Of course she would. She's Merida. She didn't bother with the stepladder just a few feet away from her, leaned against Elsa's bed.) Merida jumped, and swiped. The bow fell down. Along with a bunch of other things.

"Merida? Is everything okay in there?" Elsa called from the living room.

"Everything's fine!" Merida lied.

Sighing, she started to toss Elsa's stuff back to the top shelf. There were stacks of envelopes, all tied together, a few magazines, postcards, index cards, crossword puzzles….and a grey leather journal.

Out of curiosity, she unbound this journal and flipped to a random page.

"Oh. My. Lord," she whispered.

It was Elsa's songwriting book. There were verses of lyrics and written down notes. It was also part diary. Sometimes Elsa wrote down a few events that she wanted to recall to give her inspiration for songwriting.

Merida chuckled as she read a few lines of Elsa's brainstorming.

_Weaselton's hairpiece/toupee_

_When a worker joked around with Weaselton, saying, "Watch out for that dry puddle!" but Weaselton actually slipped and fell, because of his slippery heels. _

_Weaselton being cruel at work (i.e., firing random workers, threatening some workers)_

_Weaselton coming up to me one day and telling me that my songwriting was "absolute shit" and that I better "write better songs in order prove myself worthy of being part of his label"_

After reading that last one, Merida was so close to taking her bow and arrows and shooting Weaselton. She quickly shut the journal and put it back on the top shelf.

Thank the lord Elsa was leaving his sublabel. Elsa deserves way better than a shitty guy like Weaselton as a sublabel leader.

Merida stepped into the living room, her bow behind her back. Elsa was reclined on the couch, happily texting someone. Merida walked up to her and firmly placed a hand on each of her shoulders.

"Woah," Elsa said, a little surprised.

"Mushu and Cri-Kee approved of you joining their sublabel," Merida said in a very serious tone.

"Oh, that's great! Thank you, Merida!" Elsa moved to hug her, but Merida gently slapped her arms back down to her sides.

Merida maintained her serious expression. "Listen, you hate Weaselton, right?"

"Yes…." Elsa said slowly. She was quite confused as to what was going on.

"Then when you start writing as a part of Mushu and Cri-Kee's group, you better write sooo well and rub it in Weaselton's face for being such a goddamn jerk, okay?!"

A lightbulb went off in Elsa's head. _Oh, this is a pep-talk._ It was kind of hard to tell since the pep-talk had a kick of Merida in it.

Elsa nodded. "Right," she said strongly. "We're gonna kick Weaselton to the bottom of the list and make him a disgrace to Disney!"

"That's the spirit!"

They high-fived each other and Merida gave the hug she rejected a minute ago. _We're so gonna kick Weaselton's butt, _Merida thought to herself.

* * *

It grew dark outside, but nonetheless, Elsa and Jack were still texting each other.

_Do you consider yourself a normal person? _

Elsa reread the text. What do you mean?

_Well, you're famous, that's obvious, but do you consider yourself a normal person who does normal things, or is your life just cameras, recording studios, and paparazzi? _

Elsa thought about it. The press and the paparazzi make a lot of entrances in my life, but other than that and my career, I'd say I'm normal.

_How so? _

I have a younger sibling whom I adore and love. I like chocolate. I like tea. I'm trying to get by, but unlike some people, I'm actually doing what I love for a living. I live in a big city with bright lights and no visible stars.

_Except for you. _Jack replied.

Elsa rolled her eyes. This one was such a flirt. Thanks, Jack.

_No, I take it back. _

Elsa grew angry and was about to type a very profound reply, but Jack beat her to it.

_You're not just a star. You're a superstar. _

Elsa was speechless. Her speech bubble was empty, but a smile grew on her face.

_Hmm. Seems like I left the princess speechless. _

Elsa scoffed. No, of course not.

_Good, then you'll be able to answer my following question?_

Sure.

_Can I see you tomorrow? :)_

Elsa blinked. Did he just-

"OHMYGOSH, just say yes!"

Elsa sat up so abruptly, her head collided with Anna's forehead. She was so drawn into texting that she didn't notice her sister hovering over her, watching the texts contently.

"Oww," Anna complained, rubbing her forehead.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine," Anna replied, waving it off halfheartedly. Then, with more gusto, she told her sister, "Just say yes!"

"What?"

"He just asked you out, say yes!"

"You don't even know who I'm texting, Anna."

"Of course I do. It's him," she replied, pulling up a photo of him from her phone. "His name is Jack, right?"

Elsa snatched the phone away, and Anna giggled. "He's cute. You two would look so adorable together," she teased.

"How did you find out about him?" Elsa demanded.

Merida walked into the living room, back from shooting arrows. "It's all over the internet," she told Elsa.

Anna nodded. "Everyone's buzzing about it."

Elsa looked so puzzled, she blurted out, "What is there to buzz about? What do I not know?"

"People think you two are dating," Anna replied.

Elsa's jaw dropped. "I did not know that."

* * *

Jack remained seated at the small table as the last customers of the night got up and left. He continued texting Elsa as he waited for his friend, Hiccup, to close the coffee shop.

_You're not just a star. You're a superstar. _he texted. He refrained from sending this:

_You shine brighter than any red giant in the galaxy or any violently beautiful supernova. _

Why did he not send it? Because he wasn't brave enough to do so. With Elsa, talking was natural, but he held back a lot. Everytime she texted back, his heart skipped a beat. Being around Elsa makes him feel like he needs to write piano serenades or sappy guitar songs for her, because she was just …

Hiccup's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Alright, Jack, let's go." Hiccup said, as he buttoned up his coat.

"Just a sec," Jack said. He sent another text, and sighed. Okay, he got it done. He asked her out.

Hiccup peered over his shoulder and he quickly flipped his phone screen flat on the table.

"Texting the Snow Queen, eh?" Hiccup asked, grinning.

"The Snow Queen?"

"You know, Elsa Winters. That's her nickname, because her last name is Winters," Hiccup explained. "And she's currently doing so well in the music business, she's practically ruling it; hence the nickname the Snow Queen."

"Oh," Jack said. He scowled and cursed himself for calling her "princess" this entire time. Goddammit.

"So you asked her out?"

Jack nodded.

"Is it just because of the press or what?"

Jack froze. "Wait, what about the press?"

Hiccup stared back at him. "You don't know?"

Jack stood up and shook Hiccup's shoulders. "No, I don't! Telll me," he whined childishly.

"All right!" Hiccup shouted.

Jack let go of Hiccup. Hiccup sighed. "There are rumours that you and Elsa are dating."

"What?" Jack said. His voice got a whole octave higher.

"Ever since that duet for Make-A-Wish, you two are all people can talk about."

Jack was flabbergasted. "But they don't even have solid proof or anything!"

"Yea, it's based off mere whims."

Jack cursed. What if Elsa thought he was asking her out for the sake of the press? Just to make the two of them more famous and likeable?

Hiccup waved his hands wildly in front of his friend. "Earth to Jack! Helloooo?"

Jack snapped out of it and started texting quickly on his phone.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Elsa said. "People think that we're dating, even though they have no evidence?"

Merida and Anna nodded.

"I said '_friend'_ onstage, and I told the Make-A-Wish leader that Jack and I _weren't_ dating!"

"I guess the press didn't bother asking the Make-A-Wish leader," Anna said.

"Yea, and the press makes up random rumours all the time," Merida added.

Anna nodded. "Besides, you two are going to be boyfriend and girlfriend soon so why does it matter?"

Suddenly, Elsa's phone buzzed, and in a millisecond, Merida and Anna sat down next to Elsa and they looked at Elsa's texts, even though Elsa felt as if her privacy was being invaded. Very much invaded.

Anna squealed. "What did he say?"

Elsa sighed and unlocked her phone, revealing the message.

_Oh my god, Elsa please don't think I asked you out just for the sake of the press, I swear I didn't even know about the rumours. _

Elsa blinked.

_I just found out, I swear. _

She started texting back, and Anna and Merida's eyes followed her fingers as they typed: Same. I just found out, too.

_The press makes up weird rumours, huh? _

Yea, except they were pretty accurate this time….

_Is that a 'yes' I hear, princess? _

Well technically you didn't hear it….

_So your answer is no?_

Anna's eyes widened. She gave out a guttural cry and dove for Elsa's phone before Elsa could text a reply. Elsa batted Anna away.

"_Please_, Elsa, say yes. I can't let you say no."

"Why not?"

"OH MY LORD JUST GO OUT WITH HIM!" Merida shouted angrily.

Elsa winced while Anna smirked.

Elsa, needing some alone time, pushed Anna away, turned around and rushed back to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. She allowed herself to fall backwards onto her bed, and she just laid there, staring at her phone.

_Jack Frost asked me out, _she thought. And she knew that the press was immediately going to eat up their story. They were going to gush on and on about them, and they were never going to leave them alone. It'll be like they weren't dating, not really. They wouldn't have any alone time, so what's the point?

Elsa sighed. Did she even have to ask herself that?

He's the type of guy who was charming and caring, but annoying in a not-able-to-refrain-from-telling-puns way, which was, and even Elsa will admit this, _very _cute.

Somehow, the once-locked bedroom door opened and Anna stood there, smiling. "Did you answer yet?"

Elsa threw a pillow at her. "Get out!"

Anna squealed and ran away. Elsa ran out of her room to make sure Anna was out of sight. She went back to her room and sat on the chair by her desk, turning her attention back to her phone.

* * *

"Jack, look, I _really _have to close the shop and go home. Like right now," Hiccup said seriously.

Jack shook his head. "But she didn't even reply yet!" He was freaking out. "I'm not leaving until I get an answer."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. _And if the answer is no, _he thought, _he's going to stay here for hours, moping about it. _"This is going to be a long night," Hiccup said, deciding to take a seat.

But just as Hiccup sat down, Jack's phone chimed.

Jack scrambled to unlock his phone and look at the text.

No, it's definitely a yes, Frost.

Jack smiled from ear to ear at the fact that she said yes and (affectionately) called him "Frost".

But it has to be secret. I don't want the press to be on our tails wherever we go.

Jack texted back: _I agree. But how are we going to stay away from them? They probably have hidden cameras attached to every tree, traffic light, and Starbucks barista. _

Don't worry, I know places.

His already wide grin grew.

"So I'm guessing that we can go now?" Hiccup asked, hope in his voice.

Jack nodded, still smiling.

* * *

Anna's grin widened. Somehow, she became a more graceful person, not tripping over a magazine, jelly bean, or even plain air. She crept soundlessly behind Elsa once again, and pounced, ripping the phone out of her hand and making a mad dash for the other side of the apartment.

"Hey!" Elsa shouted.

As she ran, Anna read some of the texts out loud. "'hidden cameras attached to every tree, traffic light, and Starbucks barista'?" Anna chuckled. "He's funny. I like him."

"Anna!" Elsa tried to grab her phone back, but Anna dodged her at the last second.

"'Don't worry, I know places'?" Anna read out loud, an incredulous tone in her voice.

Even Merida, who was busy, perked up at that. Merida ran to Anna's side to peek at the texts.

"Aw, Elsa's going to become a rebel now, sneaking around with him," Merida teased.

Anna whispered into Merida's ear, "Bet you when they start dating and things get hot, the texts will get even more scandalous." The two guffawed over that. Merida was clutching her stomach, and as Anna raised her hands to cover her laughing, Elsa made her move.

"I heard that!" Elsa said angrily, and managed to wrench her phone out of her sister's hand.

"Come on, Elsa. You two are sneaking off to who knows where tomorrow," Anna said. "I wouldn't be surprised if your texting became a bit more s-"

Elsa wouldn't hear any more of it. She shot Anna an ice cold glare.

Anna fell silent and immediately stopped waggling her eyebrows.

"Oh, I think Kristoff texted me," Anna lied awkwardly, making something up to get away from Elsa. Immediately, she lost her grace and tripped over her own toe, falling to the floor.

"Whoops." Anna desperately tried to laugh it off.

Merida's eyes lit up. "And you have officially met my friend, karma."

Elsa sighed, and walked over. She helped Anna up. "You should be more careful, you klutz." There was no bully-ish tone to her voice, just playful, sisterly affection.

Anna smiled and gave her sister a hug. "I'm your klutz," she replied.

"No, you're just Anna. Clumsy, awkward, energetic Anna," Elsa said, hugging her sister.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack scratched the back of his head. Maybe he got the wrong address. That or he got showed up, which was a suspicion that made sense. Someone as gorgeous as Elsa Winters wouldn't even give someone like Jack a second glance, but somehow she had agreed to go on a date with him.

Maybe she changed her mind and decided not to go with him.

Jack checked his phone again, just to make sure that he was at the right place.

Elsa had texted: Meet me outside where the Make-A-Wish event was held.

Jack looked at the building once again and this was it. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

"Woah!" he yelped as he felt someone pull him backwards. He stumbled but someone caught him.

"Hi."

It was Elsa.

_Okay Jack, _he told himself, _act natural, it's just a date with her, stay cool, staycoolstaycoolstaycool…._

"Sorry," she said. "We just have to stay out of sight so the cameras do not catch us together. Didn't mean to scare y- oh hey, you look nice."

Jack smiled. He had made an effort to control his unruly hair, but that was a failed endeavor. Nonetheless, he looked good. "Like what you see, princess?"

Elsa rolled her eyes.

"Which way are we going?"

"This way," she replied, pointing to the narrow path behind them. "It's a shortcut."

"Shall we?" Jack asked, offering a hooked arm.

Elsa nodded and they linked arms, walking down the alley together.

"You know, I never knew why you call me 'princess'," Elsa said.

"Well actually, I should be calling you 'queen'. The Snow Queen, to be specific."

Elsa scrunched her nose and furrowed her brows, which Jack thought was incredibly adorable.

"Why 'the Snow Queen'?"

"Mostly because you're ruling when it comes to music sales and your last name is Winters."

Elsa smiled. "That makes sense."

They walked down the alley and emerged on a different street. There were maybe two or three other people in sight, but none of them paid the couple any attention. One was a businessman in a suit, preoccupied with reading his newspaper, and the other two were an elderly couple, putting a bird feeder on a tree branch.

Jack and Elsa walked down the block. The streets in this part of the city haven't been renovated; the streets were still cobblestone, old but refreshing.

"Where are we going?" Jack asked.

Elsa kept a smile on her face. "Not telling, but we're almost there."

"Not gonna tell me, huh?"

"Nope." Elsa shook her head.

"Tell me. Pleaasse?"

Elsa threw her head back, chuckling. and Jack wished he could listen to that on loop. "_Jack, _we're _almost _there, just stay calm."

They kept walking, talking about their lives: mainly their super annoying younger sisters.

"Oh, and Ellie keeps accusing me of always playing tricks on her!"

Elsa raised her eyebrows. "Somehow," she replied, "I believe her."

"Oh come on, I haven't even pulled any pranks on you." He faked a cough. "Yet."

Elsa giggled as she turned to look him right in his eyes. "_Yet._ Of course you'll say 'yet'."

Jack smiled and started chuckling, too.

Suddenly Elsa stopped. "We're here."

Jack looked at the building they stopped at. "A coffee shop?" he asked, sounding appalled.

"Yes, it clearly says 'Calypso's Coffee Shop', does it not?" Elsa asked rhetorically.

He turned to look back at Elsa. "This is a _coffee shop_," Jack repeated. He was grinning.

"Well they also sell really good tea…"

"This is the most cliche place you could pick for a first-"

"-Oh I'm sorry I didn't fly us to Tahiti for our first date," she said with sarcasm.

Jack chuckled a bit at that.

"I didn't even mention the best part yet. The shop is also part bookstore!" Elsa defended.

"That does make it a bit more unique but-"

"-they also sell video games," Elsa stated blandly.

Jack's reply was automatic. "To Calypso's Coffee Shop," he declared, marching to the shop.

Jack held the door for Elsa, who shook her head at Jack's ridiculousness, and they walked in together. Immediately, the aroma of coffee beans and chocolate crept into their noses. The store was split into three sections. To the right of the entrance was a small cafe, selling coffee, tea, and pastries. The left side had rows and rows of tall bookcases, full of books. The final section was for video games.

"This is quite nice," Jack said.

"Told you," Elsa said in a sing-song voice.

"But only because of the scent," he said. "That and the video games." Jack's eyes traveled to the section all the way on the far end of the store. "They already have the latest version of my favorite game," he remarked.

Elsa followed his eyes and saw the huge poster advertising for the video game. Then she looked back at Jack and thought, _he has really nice eyes. _

"What's up, princess?" Jack asked.

Elsa realized that she had been staring. "Nothing. You want to see the video games?"

"No, you're here for the books. Let's go there first."

A small smile crept to Elsa's face. "Thanks," she said softly.

"For what?"

"Putting my needs before yours."

"Oh." Jack cheeks turned just a tiny bit rosier. He hoped Elsa didn't notice. "No problem."

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna and Merida told Punzie everything about Jack and Elsa. Punzie had squealed over and over again.

"So where are they right now?" she asked.

Merida grumbled. "We don't know where they went for their first date."

Punzie's jaw dropped. "How could Elsa not tell us? We're her closest friends!"

"I know right!" Anna replied. "And I'm her sister. We never keep secrets from each other."

Punzie gave Anna a look.

Anna sighed. "Fine. I only kept one secret from her. It's not that big of a deal." She turned to Merida. "Elsa wouldn't mind if I didn't tell her about my secret stash of heavenly Norwegian chocolate, right?"

Merida shot Anna the same look Punzie did. "She would kill you."

Anna gulped nervously.

* * *

Jack shook his head disapprovingly. "Nope,"

"No?" Elsa asked. "Why not?"

"It doesn't sound exciting enough."

Elsa frowned and read the blurb of the book once again. "It sounds pretty action-packed to me."

Jack walked further down the aisle of books and examined the so-called thriller books. He pointed. "How about that one?"

Elsa looked in the general direction Jack was pointing in. "Which book?"

"White on the Mountain," he replied.

"Ah, I see," Elsa said. She located the book. It had a black cover and was on the highest shelf, far beyond their reach.

Jack looked around, searching for something. "Is there a way to get the book?"

"Yea, we're going to have to use a ladder." Elsa replied.

She walked to the end of the aisle, where there was a straight and slender ladder, angled against the bookcases and attached to them. She tugged the ladder and pulled it to where Jack was. The wheels on the built-in rail on the bookcases allowed the ladder to move with her.

"Careful," Jack said, as Elsa started taking steps up the ladder.

Elsa snorted. "I'm always careful."

She stretched and reached for the book and lifted it from the shelf. She heard a snap, and somehow, the wheels came off the rail. _That's not good, _they both thought.

Elsa was falling. She collapsed on Jack, who wrapped an arm around her protectively, and they both fell to the floor.

Coincidentally, a store clerk managed to catch the ladder just in time, keeping it from crushing the two of them.

"Thanks," Elsa said breathlessly to the employee. He was very tall and buff, with an abnormally large nose and a lot of grown out facial hair.

The employee nodded gruffly and pulled the ladder away as he walked back to the store's telephone to call a repair crew. Elsa watched him, staring.

Jack didn't care to notice the employee who had just saved their lives. All he noticed was the fact that Elsa Winters was right there, her head just below his chin, and _holyshitherhairissosoft. _

She looked back at Jack, and after noticing that he was still under her, moved away and sat cross legged next to him. Jack sat up, smirking.

"What?" Elsa asked.

"I recall a certain princess saying that she was always careful."

Elsa grinned but looked away. "It's just my luck today. Those ladders were safe and secure. Belle could slide from one bookcase to the next in a millisecond."

"Who's Belle?"

"One of my friends who works here," Elsa answered. "The point is, those ladders were built to be sturdy, maybe it was just me, and I don't know what's wrong with me today, I'm just-"

"-falling for me?" Jack said for her.

Elsa rolled her eyes, another pun from the uncontrollable flirt, the one and only Jack Frost. "Ha ha," she replied dryly as Jack began to cackle. She shook her head in denial. _Of course not, no, no I am not. _She was definitely _not_ falling for Jack Frost. Or at least that's what she told herself.

* * *

"Maybe they're at the arcade?" Punzie suggested.

Merida shook her head. "Vanellope and Ralph will be there, hogging everything."

"Ooh, maybe they went to the new restaurant, La Ratatouille!" Anna said.

Merida snorted. "A new, fancy, French restaurant that requires reservations isn't low profile, Anna."

Punzie and Anna turned to Merida, who shot down both of their guesses. "Then where do _you _think they went?" they asked in unison.

Merida shrugged. "I dunno." She got up to go to the kitchen. "I just know that your guesses were wrong."

Anna sighed. "This sucks, I wanted to follow them and you know, spy on them during their first date."

Merida plucked an apple from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter. "Hey. You should respect Elsa's privacy." She pointed at Anna and Punzie. "Both of you. She's my best friend, your sister, and your cousin. When she needs space, we should give her space. She already has the paparazzi to deal with, so it's the least we can do," she said strongly. (She only meant roughly 85% of what she preached, but honestly, she was just trying to be a good manager.)

"She's right," Punzie said, playing with her hair. "Privacy is important. I wouldn't want you guys to be spying on me and Flynn."

Anna sat up, suddenly very interested. "What _did _you guys do yesterday?"

Merida walked back to sit next to Punzie.

"Er- well, we didn't do much- I mean of course we did some pretty cool stuff, but…" she half stammered, half mumbled.

"Do tell."

"Well I-"

Anna threw her hands up dramatically. "If we don't get any news about Elsa's date, we should at least get details on yours. Now spill."

Punzie blushed. "Okay….."

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jack asked again. He checked her hands, wrists, and her head for injuries.

"I'm fine," Elsa replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Jack, I'm worried for you. I landed on _you, _you're the one who might have injuries. I should be checking _you _for injuries, for god's sake."

Jack smiled.

"Are your hands okay?"

"My hands are okay," Jack echoed.

Elsa sighed in relief. "Because you fell back on your wrist, so I thought that maybe your wrist-"

"Look, I'm fine," he said, placing both hands on her shoulders. "You want to go to the cafe now?"

"Sure."

The two started to walk to the counter and with every step the aroma of coffee got stronger.

"Hello Elsa!" a voice said.

It was a brunette. Her brown hair was tied back by a blue ribbon.

"Hey Belle," Elsa said, waving.

"The usual?" Belle asked.

Elsa nodded, looking around.

"God, I haven't seen you in so long. I missed you! And it's been such a slow day." Belle sighed.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Elsa replied. "It's just that work keeps me occupied."

Belle nodded in understanding.

"May I have an iced coffee?" Jack added.

Belle raised an eyebrow. "Who's this, Elsa?" Belle wasn't exactly the type of person to be caught up in social media, so she didn't know about Jack and Elsa.

"Oh, this is Jack."

"Hi," Jack said, giving an awkward wave.

Belle's eyes glanced down at Jack's other hand, which was intertwined with Elsa's. "Hello," she said back. "Are you two…?"

Elsa and Jack nodded at the same time. "But just don't tell anyone," Elsa blurted out. "We're trying to keep this a secret so the paparazzi stay away."

Just as they were nodding, a buff man with long auburn hair walked by and stood behind the counter with Belle. He took a sip of water from his water bottle and nodded at Jack and Elsa. "You two are cute together."

Belle gave the man a look. "Really, Adam?"

Adam nodded, then put the bottle of water down and extended his hand. Jack and Adam shook hands.

Adam introduced himself. "I'm Adam, Belle's fiancee."

Elsa gasped. "You guys are engaged?"

"Yes," Belle said. She gave Adam a kiss before turning around to work the machines and prepare Jack and Elsa's beverages.

"Wait, when did you propose?" Elsa asked. "How did I not find out about this?"

Adam chuckled. "I-"

"Here are your drinks," Belle said, handing Jack and Elsa their respective drinks. "And he proposed to me yesterday."

"Congratulations on you two's engagement," Jack said.

"Thanks," they replied.

Elsa took Jack's hand again and led him to the cafe seating area. They took a seat at a couch at the corner of the store.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "I see you've chosen for us to sit on a _loveseat_," he said teasingly.

"Hm, sure." Elsa tugged Jack's hand. "Just sit."

He sat down next to her on the loveseat, and Elsa took out the book that they both went to extreme lengths to retrieve.

"You bought the book?" Jack asked.

"Mhmm."

"Here." Jack lifted the book from Elsa's hands. "I'll read to you."

Elsa raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Really. I suggested this book, I might as well read it to you."

In this situation, Elsa's sass would usually be full on, and she'd rhetorically ask why she's being treated like a three year old, but somehow, it felt different. It felt like a sweet and endearing gesture, so she finally replied, "Alright," and laid her head on Jack's shoulder.

Jack's heart rate skyrocketed and he hoped Elsa didn't notice. It took him a lot of control not to freak out, because _ohmygodElsaWintersisleaningonmyshoulderohmygodwhatisthislifeasoiafejifrrrgjitwhj_

Taking a deep breath, he opened the book and thumbed through the pages to chapter one. Each section started out with an excerpt, and this time, it was a poem.

_There's white on the mountain_

_But red in the river. _

_The snow glows _

_And the air is frosty - _"Heh, _frosty_," Jack commented. "Get it? Because my last name is-"

"Yes, Jack, I get it," Elsa said, rolling her eyes.

Jack chuckled again before continuing to read out loud.

_But the blood runs through the water,_

_And death hangs in the muggy fog. _

"Compelling," Elsa said as Jack flipped the page.

And so Jack continued to read out loud to Elsa, blissfully unaware of another couple, watching them from behind the cafe counter.

"They look calm and relaxed. Elsa looks content, and that's what matters the most, right?" Adam asked.

"Right." Belle nodded and tapped her chin. "Why do you think they look cute?"

"Huh?" Adam asked, puzzled.

"You said they looked cute."

"Yea," Adam said, putting his hands behind his head. "Well they were nodding in unison, those cute little snow bunnies."

Belle raised her eyebrows. "Did you just call Jack and Elsa snow bunnies?"

"Yep." Adam grinned. "One has white hair, the other has platinum blonde hair. Pale skin, light hair, snow bunnies," Adam said with ease.

Belle rolled her eyes. "You've only seen the two together for less than ten minutes and you're already making names for them."

"Belle, you've gotta admit that they're cute together."

"I'm not saying that they're not," Belle protested.

"Then tell me, what are your opinions on them?"

Belle sighed. "Fine," she huffed. "I'll admit that they look good together. Jelsa. I like them together."

"Now who's making names?" Adam teased.

Belle gave Adam an intense glare from the side of her eye.

He coughed. "Uh, Jelsa. Yea, that's their name, sounds good." He whistled and turned away, pretending to be busy at work.

* * *

Anna, Merida and Punzie set up three targets in the den of the apartment. Merida handed out bows and arrows.

She drew the arrow back, the bowstring stretching out, and the tail of the arrow nearly touching her chin. She let go, allowing the arrow to fly to the bullseye, as usual. She grinned in triumph.

Anna and Punzie on the other hand were… struggling.

The bow Merida lended to Anna had a tighter string, but Anna didn't account for that. As she released the arrow after pulling the bowstring rather taut, her clenched hand immediately shot backward and slammed right into her jaw.

"OW!" Anna rubbed her jaw.

"Geez, are you alright?" Merida asked.

"Ay thinkk ish ahkay," Anna spoke indistinctly through her clenched jaw. She looked up. "Oh, hey!"

Anna pointed at her target. Her arrow was lodged in the target less than half a foot from the bullseye.

Merida looked. "Not bad."

It was Punzie's turn.

She closed one eye, and her left eye, big and green, was staring straight at the target. But although she was very focused, she missed the target completely. The arrow dropped and skittered on the floor.

Punzie slumped in dismay.

Merida patted Punzie's back. "It's alright, Punzie. Try again." She turned to Anna. "You too. Practice makes perfect."

Anna got up and all three of them began to shoot arrows again.

* * *

Elsa opened her eyes lazily.

Jack and Elsa had fallen asleep on the couch. The book Jack had been reading aloud was lying on the coffee table in front of them.

Elsa's head was on Jack's chest, tucked neatly under his chin. His arms were around her, and Elsa found herself perfectly comfortable in his embrace. She closed her eyes to return to sleep, but Jack had already lifted his head, finally awake.

"Hey," he mumbled.

"Hi," she replied. "How long have we been asleep?"

"Dunno," he murmured.

They both chuckled quietly to themselves at that, and as Jack held Elsa a bit tighter, she snuggled a little closer to him. Both let their eyes flutter shut again- just for a split second.

"Thank god you guys are awake."

Elsa and Jack looked up. It was Belle, and she was walking quickly towards them, with a worried but serious look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked Belle.

"There's this new video game," Belle said, "and since it's developed on this new software, a bunch of people are coming to see the presentation on how it works. The presentation is going to be held here, and it's going to start soon."

Jack sat up. Belle was talking about that new video game he wanted. "I _have _to go to that presentation," he declared.

Belle only shook her head. "You absolutely must not. I already told you, it's brand new software, so the press is going to be there, reporting everything. If they see you, they'll find out about you two."

"Oh." Jack said.

"You guys need to leave, right now."

Elsa and Jack got up. "Thanks for the warning, Belle," Elsa said.

When they started walking to the exit, Belle shook her head vigorously and stopped them. "Everybody's lined up outside, and Adam's stalling a bit for your sake." She turned the other way. "Come with me."

They followed Belle. They ran through the inventory room (Elsa freaked out because never had she been surrounded by so many books) and reached a door in the back.

"Here," Belle said. and opened the door for them. "This is just the other side of block. Be careful. If you make one wrong turn, the paparazzi will find out all about you."

Jack nodded.

"Thanks so much," Elsa said.

"Anything for a friend." Belle smiled before closing the door.

"That was close," Jack said breathlessly.

"I know."

The couple started walking down the block, which gratefully, was clear of cameramen or paparazzi.

"Darn. I really wanted to see how that video game worked," Jack said mournfully.

Elsa laughed. "Rather than spend time with me?" she joked.

Jack held both of Elsa's hands. "No. I'd rather be with you."

Elsa frowned. "But I am sorry you'll miss the presentation."

Jack waved it off. "It's fine. It was my fault that we fell asleep. My reading voice was too boring."

"No, no, of course not," Elsa said, shaking her head. "It was such a nice and calm place, away from the press and paparazzi."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. It was peaceful."

They stopped walking.

Jack leaned his forehead against hers and smiled. "Running from the paparazzi was fun, but let me choose our spot next time. I promise it'll be fun."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Well, Frost, you better know your stuff because the paparazzi are everywhere, and if they-"

Jack chuckled. "You're not the only one who knows places, my queen."

* * *

Anna, Merida, and Punzie were playing a very twisted game of Twister. They were a mess.

Punzie took a deep breath and reached for the blue dot with her right foot, making sure not to hit Merida, who was supporting her weight with crossed arms.

The door unlocked and opened.

Punzie gasped. "Elsa's back!" She squealed, and while doing that, she accidentally smacked Anna, who then fell to the floor.

Punzie winced. "Oops."

Merida stood and helped Anna up. "Hey, Elsa."

"How did the date go?" Merida asked.

Elsa closed the door behind her and locked it, ignoring the three girls in front of her, eager for answers. She was smiling the entire time.

Anna groaned rubbing her temples. "Geez, I just got smacked by Punzie, and my older sister didn't lift an eyebrow?" she asked out loud. "The date must've went well."

"_Really _well," Punzie added.

Elsa finally processed what Anna had said. Her eyes went wide in shock and worry. She rushed to her sister. "Is your head okay? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Anna smiled. "I said I was smacked by Punzie, not given a concussion."

"But are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Anna answered quickly. "How was the date?"

"Great." Elsa obviously had a lot more to say than "great", but she was holding back and being secretive.

"Just great?" Merida asked in disbelief.

"Oh, you've got to tell us more!" Punzie complained.

"Where did you guys go?" Anna asked.

"Calypso's." Elsa answered.

Merida nodded. "Good thinking. Not many people go there. It's a hidden gem."

Elsa sighed. "And yet somehow, the paparazzi were right behind us."

"What?!" The girls shouted.

"Ohmygosh, did they find out?" Punzie asked worriedly.

"No, Belle woke us up and got us out just in time."

Merida nodded, then she stopped. "Wait, she woke you guys up? Meaning that you guys were asleep?"

Anna and Punzie giggled.

Elsa blushed. "He was reading to me," she explained. "It was just so peaceful, for _once_ in my life," she added.

"Awww," Anna and Punzie cooed together. Those two were too giggly and annoying for their own good. Elsa shot them a glare.

"Oh right," Elsa said, suddenly remembering something. "Belle and Adam are engaged."

Anna dropped her head into her hands dramatically. "Oh my god. Jasmine and Aladdin, Mulan and Shang, and now Belle and Adam."

Merida nodded. "Ugh, I swear it's a marriage epidemic. I can't stand it."

Punzie frowned. "Getting married isn't a bad thing, and it's certainly not a disease," she said.

"I'm just still really mad with the whole arranged marriage thing back in DunBroch," Merida admitted.

"Forget about arranged marriages, spend time with us, your best friends, instead." Elsa said. "I promise it'll be_ fun_," she added in a sing song voice. (She had to admit that Jack was rubbing off on her.)

Elsa pulled her best friend, her sister, and her cousin together in a group hug.

"Okay," Merida mumbled into the warm and cuddly embrace.

"And Elsa," Merida pulled away slightly, "Anna has a secret stash of 'heavenly Norwegian chocolate' she's been hiding from you."

Elsa's eyes grew furious, and she glared at Anna, who slowly inched away.


	9. Chapter 9

Elsa watched Anna affectionately. In the middle of the room, Anna and Punzie were singing and dancing together, looking like silly ducks.

"So where's Frost going to take you on your next date?" Merida said to Elsa.

"I'm not sure," Elsa admitted. "He didn't specify."

"Any guesses?"

Elsa shrugged. "All I know is that I'm looking forward to the date."

Suddenly, the lights flickered.

Someone screamed, and when the lights came back on, Anna and Punzie were holding on to each other, frozen in terror.

"What was that?" Punzie asked.

Merida was about to reply, but then the girls heard a spooky noise.

Punzie screamed. "What was that?!" she asked again, this time a lot louder and more urgent.

"I don't know," Merida said in frustration. She got up.

Elsa handed her a heavy tennis racquet. Maybe it would help Merida annihilate whatever made that noise.

Merida took it and disappeared to the hallway.

Elsa went to Anna and Punzie. They were shaking, so she wrapped her arms around them protectively.

Elsa looked around the room with a keen eye. She noticed that her phone was glowing through the pocket of her jacket.

Elsa got up and walked to the coat hanger by the entrance of the apartment. She pulled her phone from her jacket. Jack was calling. It finally hit her.

Just to make sure of her suspicions, Elsa held her phone to her ear, and sure enough, the spooky noise was coming from her phone.

"Merida!" she shouted. "I know what's going on."

Elsa answered the phone. "You're an idiot," was the first thing she said.

Jack's laughter erupted from the other end of the phone, and Elsa rolled her eyes but couldn't help thinking that he had a really sexy laugh.

"Did I scare you?" he finally said.

"No. But Anna and Punzie were traumatized," she told him. "How did you do it?" Elsa asked.

"I just recorded my spooky voice and-"

"-it wasn't even spooky," Elsa interrupted.

"Of course it was," Jack said quickly. "As I was saying, I recorded my _very_ spooky voice and saved it as your ringtone for whenever I call," Jack said. "It was too easy."

Elsa shook her head. "But how did you do the flickering lights?"

"Wait, there were flickering lights?" Jack asked.

"Yes, the power went out for a millisecond."

Jack guffawed all over again. "Wow. I swear that was not part of the plan, just a coincidence." Jack couldn't believe his luck.

Elsa let Jack laugh it off for another minute before asking, "Where are we going on our next date?"

"Not telling. By the way, this is payback for last time."

Elsa sighed. "All that torture for what, ten minutes?" she asked. "Come on, Jack, you can't leave me hanging for an entire day."

"Nope. Not telling. Lips are sealed. Threw away the key. Mhrmmmhr-" he said, pretending to say something through sealed lips.

Elsa chuckled before remembering that she had to be serious. "You're a ridiculous-" Elsa began to say, but then Jack hung up.

"Am I the only who thinks her cheeks look rosier when she's on the phone with him?" Anna whispered out loud, mainly to Merida and Punzie.

"Nope," they replied.

Elsa placed a hand on her hip. "Were you three eavesdropping?"

"Eavesdropping? Pshh. No," Anna replied.

"I would hardly call that eavesdropping," said Merida.

"You didn't tell us _not_ to listen in on the phone call," Punzie said.

Elsa shook her head. "You guys are ridiculous, too. More ridiculous than he is."

"Does that mean you love us more than you love him?" Anna made herself look extra cute to try to sway her sister's answer.

"Yes."

Punzie gasped. Merida smirked.

"What?" Elsa asked, her eyes going wide in horror. "What did I say?"

"You indirectly admitted to loving Jack."

Elsa immediately replied, "It's too soon to say."

"Well, she didn't say no," Punzie remarked.

"Good enough for us!" The three high fived, and Elsa dropped her head in her hands.

* * *

Jack dug his fingers through his head of silver hair in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked. "I thought the prank went well."

"Oh, the prank went perfectly. Their lights flickered coincidentally."

Hiccup cheered and went to give Jack a fist pump, which Jack was about to return before realizing his problem again and dropping his hands to his side.

"Not cool, Jack. Don't leave me hanging."

Jack's hands went back to his hair. "But I don't know where to take her for the date," he grumbled.

Hiccup frowned. "Sorry, I didn't catch that. Did you just say-"

"I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO TAKE HER FOR OUR SECOND DATE!" Jack shouted before preceding to slam his head onto the table.

"Whoa, Jack, cool down."

"I'm Jack Frost, I am cool." Jack mumbled into the table.

Hiccup crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Sure you are. Are you seriously out of ideas?"

Jack nodded helplessly.

"You really can't think of anything?"

He nodded again, starting to get used to the feel of the table.

Hiccup searched for events on his laptop. "You can take her to the premiere of-"

"No," Jack replied immediately. "Thought of that already, but there'll be too many people, too many cameras."

"So you need somewhere that doesn't attract the cameras?"

"Yep."

"How about the coffee shop?" Hiccup suggested.

"_This_ coffee shop?" Jack asked.

Hiccup nodded.

Jack pretended to contemplate it. "Hm, low profile, ambient, good coffee and tea, yea this would be nice," he said, "except for the fact that _your family owns the shop_ and Elsa's younger sister _works here_, and all of you can just _eavesdrop on our date_." Jack threw in a ton of sarcasm. "This place would be _perfect_ if it weren't for that. Nice try, Hicc."

"Wait. The Snow Queen's sister is Anna?"

Jack nodded.

"B-but, Elsa Winters is graceful and poised, and Anna i-is, well, _Anna_."

"Hiccup, focus, please, I need your help."

"How about the 1920s masquerade ball?"

Jack shook his head. "I _really_ wanted to take Elsa there, because it's perfect, but there are going to be a ton of people, celebrities and cameras and all that."

"But masks are required. That should provide enough cover. Nobody will know who you two are."

Jack pointed at his hair. "Dude. My hair is white."

"Dye it."

"How will Elsa know that it's me?"

"I guess you'll have to tell her."

"Darn it, I really wanted to keep where we're going a secret."

Hiccup shrugged. "Not my problem."

Jack glared at him.

* * *

**(REMINDER: Elsa's texts are all underlined and Jack's texts are _italicized. _And I apologize in advance for the confusing first/third person texts.)**

Elsa reached for her phone. Automatically, Merida, Punzie, and Anna sat up.

"I wonder who that could be," Merida said. Punzie giggled and Anna waggled her eyebrows.

Elsa shot them a look.

_The peasant Jack Frost seeks the queen's attention. _the text read.

Elsa rolled her eyes. Don't call me that. Also, you're not a peasant.

_Fine. The bachelor Jack Frost seeks the queen's attention. _

Elsa snorted. Bachelor?

_Yes, a very eligible bachelor. _

Why would Jack Frost want my attention?

_For many reasons. First and foremost, because any man would desire your attention. _

I'm flattered.

_Second, because I would like to tell you more about our second date. _

Elsa smirked. She knew Jack was going to tell her where they were going sooner or later.

_Would you like to go with me back to the 1920s?_

The queen would love to, but traveling back in time is impossible.

_I see you're liking the nickname. _

Elsa smiled. It was definitely growing on her.

_Well, my queen, tomorrow, time travel will be possible, but only for a few hours. Enough time to go the masquerade ball._

Elsa put all of the information together. A 1920s themed masquerade ball, eh?

_Yep. _

Is Mr. Frost going to wear a suit?

_Maybe. Why would the queen like to know? (For your information, I'm not often suited up.)_

The queen would be very amused to see Jack Frost in a suit.

_Does the queen think Mr. Frost would look dashing in a suit?_

We shall see at the ball.

Suddenly, Elsa realized something and couldn't keep calm. Wait, Jack, the ball is a huge event. How are we going to stay away from the cameras outside? And not to mention the celebrities, too?

_Relax. Everybody's going to be wearing masks, so that should provide cover. _

What about your hair?

_I'll dye it. _

Elsa frowned. His hair was one of the things that made him unique, one of her favorite things about him. She suddenly realized that she had a list of favorite things about Jack, and shook the thoughts out of her head.

She quickly typed a response. Jack, you don't have to do all this. We don't have to go to the ball.

_No, it's fine. Besides, the masquerade ball is perfect. Come on, it's the roaring 20s, it'll be oh-so-fun! (Did you catch that reference?)_

Elsa admired his ability to stay positive at all times. She liked his cheerfulness. Again, she was adding to her list of favorite things about him.

Well I'm glad you're oh-so-excited for the ball. And yes, I got that reference.

Even though she wasn't with him at the moment, she knew that he was chuckling, because Jack's that type of guy. Lighthearted and helplessly happy at all times. Always looking for fun and adventures. He's-

"Aww, look at the way she's smiling and blushing!" Punzie gushed.

"I think she's about to swoon, or at the least, sigh," Merida said. "Are you thinking about Frost?"

Before Elsa could answer, Anna cut in. "No. She's texting him."

"Still trying to figure out where the second date is?" Merida asked.

Elsa smiled triumphantly. "Actually, I found out. We're going to a masquerade ball."

"Hold on a second, the 1920s themed masquerade ball?" Merida asked.

Elsa nodded.

Merida's eyes widened. "Everybody knows about it and it's the event that everyone wants to go to, and-"

"Mer, don't worry-" Elsa started to say.

"But his hair-"

"He'll dye it," Elsa told them.

"Frost sure is going out of his way for you."

"Oh please, it's not for me, it's just so that they don't recognize him," Elsa replied.

Anna rolled her eyes. "But really, he's doing it for the sake of the two of you. He's doing it so that you two can stay together and keep things private."

"That's so sweet," Punzie squealed.

"You guys are never going to stop with this, are you?"

"Nope," the three said in unison.

Suddenly, Elsa's phone buzzed again, and everyone went silent.

Elsa lifted an eyebrow. Apparently one text from Jack was all it took for those three to shut their mouths.

_I'll pick you up at 7, okay?_

Okay.

_See you tomorrow, Elsa. I can't wait for our date! :D_

Elsa rolled her eyes. That emoticon was not necessary.

_Of course it was! It also displayed my emotions very accurately. _

I doubt that's the expression on your face right now.

_But it is. :D_

Elsa couldn't help but roll her eyes again and smile. See you tomorrow, Jack.

* * *

Elsa left to return to her room and work on her music.

"You guys notice the spring in her step, right?" Anna pointed out.

"Yup."

An idea hit Punzie. "We should make a list. When most of the things on it are checked off, then we'll know for sure that Elsa's in love."

"Daydreaming is a tell. I see you drooling over Kristoff sometimes." Merida gestured to Anna.

"Hey!"

"Don't worry, Kristoff drools over you, too."

"But Elsa is always so focused on her work, she hardly daydreams," Punzie pointed out.

"Exactly," Anna said. "If she's daydreaming, then we'll know for sure."

Merida googled 'ways to know if someone is in love'; she didn't have any personal experiences. She began to list what the website said. "You smile when you're alone. You check your phone very often. You become a little obsessive. You sing, or start noticing love songs on the radio. You become a better person. You start watching romantic comedies." Merida frowned. "I personally think the last one is stupid."

"And the one about singing," Punzie added. "Elsa sings for a living, so that doesn't really count."

"So it should be if she sings more often than she usually does," Anna suggested.

After a while of googling, discussing their relationships with their boyfriends, and careful thinking, the three came up with a list.

ELSA IS IN LOVE WITH JACK IF SHE:

\- smiles when she's alone

\- checks her phone often

\- sings more often than usual

\- starts daydreaming and drooling over Jack

\- talks about Jack, randomly, out of the blue

\- is giddy

\- listens to love songs

\- perks up when a love song comes on the radio

\- offers Jack the last chocolate

\- looks at Jack as if he's the one most important, adorable, charming, and captivating person in the history of important adorable, charming, and captivating people

\- spends a lot of time with Jack

Elsa hummed a tune as she came back to the living room. Punzie and Merida raised their eyebrows.

Anna scrambled to get the notepad out of sight, and aimlessly tossed it away. Punzie and Merida watched as the notepad landed in a vase of violets.

"What was that?" Elsa asked.

"Nothing," Anna said, chuckling in a weird way and giving an unsure crooked smile. ("She looks creepy," Punzie whispered to Merida. )

Elsa decided not to ask any questions.

* * *

After lunch, Merida, Punzie, and Anna kept a close eye on Elsa. The trio was in the hallway crouching outside the slightly open door. Anna first, Merida behind her, and Punzie behind Merida. They watched from outside Elsa's room as she pulled out her journal.

"What's that?" Anna asked. "I've never seen it before."

"It's her songwriting journal," Merida told her.

"How do you know that?" Punzie asked.

"Stumbled upon it a couple days ago."

"Ooh, does it have any embarrassing song lyrics? Or maybe something about Jack?" Anna asked a little too loudly.

"Hush, Anna."

Anna winced. "Sorry."

Luckily, Elsa didn't notice her friends spying on her. Her headphones were on, and she was listening to music. She sat at her desk, with her notepad and a pen.

"She's writing down stuff," Anna noted.

"Probably song lyrics."

"Can you see what she's writing?"

"Punzie, I'm at least three meters away, I can't read the words from here-oh wait. She's getting up. Ohmygosh she's walking this way. Abort mission. Abortmission, _abort mission._"

Anna, Merida, and Punzie retreated to the living room, but Anna ran into Merida, causing her to fall.

"Oomph."

"Ohmygosh, Merida, are you okay?"

Punzie helped her up.

Seconds later, when the coast was clear, the trio was crawling back to Elsa's door.

"Ohh," Anna whispered in realization. "Elsa was only getting her ukulele."

They watched as Elsa removed her headphones and put them away. Setting her phone in front of her, Elsa began to play a soft melody, recording it onto her phone.

"What do you think?" Anna whispered. "Does it sound like a love song for Jack?"

"Hold on," Punzie replied.

Elsa started to hum. She didn't have all of the notes and lyrics figured out yet; she was only experimenting and brainstorming.

She frowned.

"Oh no, she doesn't look happy," Merida said.

"So it's not about Jack?" Punzie suggested.

Elsa was having trouble with the various melodies she was playing. As she plucked and strum, some notes sounded discordant, as out of place as a bucket of deep fried chicken on a mountain of fresh kale. The music just didn't sound _right_.

She sighed as she grabbed her headphones and placed them on again.

"Um, she's going back to listening to her music," Anna reported.

"What? Why?"

"Don't know," Anna replied. "Um, she's on her phone again."

"Is she texting someone?" Punzie asked.

"I don't think so…"

Merida took one glance at Elsa. "She's definitely not texting unless she's typing 0.5 words per minute."

Punzie stood up to get a better look. "And if she was texting Jack, she'd text _a lot_ faster than that."

Merida smirked. "If she was texting Frost, she'd blush."

"Her face would be redder than my hair," Anna added.

Merida lifted an eyebrow. "No, it would be redder than mine."

They tried, really tried, to stifle their giggles, but Elsa heard them.

Merida cursed as she noticed Elsa coming towards them. She pinched Anna and Punzie, both who yelped in pain, to get their attention.

They cleared their throats. "Yea, Elsa?"

Elsa blinked as all three of them said that in unison. "I need help choosing a dress."

They cheered, and not much later, they were rummaging through Elsa's closet.

Elsa giggled before clearing her throat. "Don't you girls remember that it's a 1920s themed ball?" The girls froze. "I don't own anything that's 1920s themed. My dresses are not as sparkly and glamorous as those flapper dresses."

Punzie gasped. "Does this mean we can go shopping?"

Merida groaned. "No. I'm _not_ going to let you guys drag me out for fifteen hours to pick out one outfit."

"Please Merida?" Punzie and Anna whined.

"Go without me."

"We promise that it won't take too long."

"Fine," Merida finally said. She regretted it the millisecond the word spilled out.

* * *

Merida was right to regret it. They finally got home, and as they entered the apartment, Merida began to wonder why she ever agreed to go on a shopping spree with a load of shopaholics. But before she could form a coherent thought, she collapsed on her bed and fell into a very much needed deep slumber.

Merida also knew the next day would be a nightmare for her, too. She chose to opt out from the day's activities.

"Come on Elsa, we've gotta get you dressed up for tonight," Anna said. She turned, noticing Merida. "Ooh! You can help too, Merid- ow that hurt," she mumbled as she bumped something.

"Be careful," Elsa reminded her sister.

Merida shook her head. "I'm not doing this. I'm going back to sleep," she said with a yawn.

"Aw, c'mon, Merida," Anna tried one last time before Merida shut the door and locked Anna out.

"She's a stinker," Anna whispered to Elsa.

Elsa shook her head. "Oh, if Merida heard you say that, she will personally make sure that you regret it sooner or later."

Merida grinned to herself. Elsa was right, and unfortunately for Anna, Merida did hear her.

She decided that she'll deal with Anna another time.

Meanwhile, Anna and Punzie were helping Elsa get ready.

"Now? This is ridiculous, the ball isn't even going to start until 8."

Her sister and her cousin ignored that. Elsa instantly wished her best friend was by her side, defending her, instead of staying in bed and sleeping like a pig. She didn't say that out loud, of course. She knew better than that.

Anna smiled. "It's never too early to get ready."

"There's a lot to do," Punzie added. "We've gotta get you dressed up and then made up."

The two squealed in excitement.

Elsa sighed and mentally prepared herself for hours of torture via hair and makeup products.

* * *

Jack knew he should start getting prepared to go, and here he was, still white-haired and in a t-shirt and trousers. He had a lot to do. Including the chores.

"Jack, it's your turn to wash the dishes," his mother reminded him.

"I know, Mom."

After he was done with the dishes, Jack dried his hands. "Should I tell Ellie to go to sleep?" he asked his mom.

"It's kind of early, but alright."

He ran upstairs. This was his chance to get rid of Ellie. He didn't like keeping Ellie in the dark, but this was meant to be kept a secret, and Ellie was the absolute worst secret keeper.

His sister stood in pajamas, not doing anything at the moment.

"Ellie, you need to go to bed."

"Why do I have to go to bed so early tonight?" She asked with a yawn.

"Just cause," Jack replied.

"But I'm not tired."

"Yes you are, you need your sleep, and geez, you're yawning right now, _Ellie, go _to bed."

"Okay, okay." Ellie rubbed her eyes.

She hopped into bed and Jack turned off the lights.

As he left the room, he sighed in relief. That was the easiest it has _ever_ been to put Ellie to sleep.

He rushed to the bathroom, and applied the hair dye, which took an absurd amount of time to actually turn his hair brown. Afterwards, he popped the contacts on, and looked at his reflection. Brown hair, brown eyes. He left the bathroom and ran to his room.

Acting fast, Jack put on the suit and got ready to go, praying that he looked okay. He picked up his car keys and rushed out of the room. But he stopped when he saw a figure standing in the dark hallway.

Jack blinked. "Ellie?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, but before he could ask why she was still awake, she piped up.

"Jack, why are you dressed so fancily?"


	10. Chapter 10

Jack froze. "Uh, I… I was just going to go with El- no, _Bunny_ to the um-"

"You're lying," Ellie decided.

"Whaaaa?" Jack asked, feigning shock. He rubbed the back of his neck.

Ellie rolled her eyes before noticing something. She blinked and turned on the lights in the hallway, "OHMYGOD YOUR. HAIR. IS. BROWN!" Her eyebrows rose incredibly high, and her eyes widened to the size of donuts."Holy _cow_, have you _and_ mom _and _dad been lying to me this _entire time_? You have _naturally_ brown hair and brown eyes? You're just like me? Ohmygod ajdkfjirugioui-"

"No, _no_, Ellie. Calm down, _calm down_."

Ellie sat on the floor, holding her head. Jack crouched by her.

He pointed to his hair. "This is dye. And these," he pointed to his pupils, "are contacts."

"Why did you do that?"

"It's a disguise."

"For what?"

Jack paused. If he told her, she would scream. Then she'd tell Pippa. And then somehow, within the next 24 hours, Ellie's entire school-no, the entire city, would know about Jack and Elsa.

Ellie looked at Jack expectantly.

Jack's eyes shifted, before he made a run for it.

* * *

Jack had arrived outside Elsa's building a few minutes ago, after making a mad dash for the door and running for his car, leaving Ellie utterly dumbfounded and frustrated.

He checked his reflection in the car mirror. Hopefully he didn't look stupid, but what was important was that he was still recognizable. After all, his hair was dyed brown, and he had on contacts.

He glanced at the hat on the dash. It was a light brown color, a boater hat. Jack considered putting it on, before shaking his head and deciding not to.

Jack knocked on the door of Elsa's apartment.

Elsa greeted him. Her hair was slightly curled and styled, tucked into a bun. She was decked out in a silver dress with a bit of gold on the neckline that accentuated her platinum gold hair. There was a detailed silver headband around her head, which matched her darkened eyelashes and chrome-dusted eyelids. She wore a tiered necklace and multiple bracelets on each wrist. Literally everything about her glittered and glowed.

"Wow," Jack said in amazement. "You look… dazzling."

Elsa scoffed. "Yes, you can thank those three," she said, nodding towards Anna, Merida and Punzie.

Jack gulped nervously at the sight of Anna. He was aware that her right hook could potentially knock him to Pluto. _Stay cool. Don't be an idiot…._

"Oh, you can be so silly sometimes…"

Jack's eyes widened. "Shoot. What happened?" His hands immediately went to his hair. "Did I forget to dye something?"

Elsa giggled again before pointing at his tie. He looked at it.

Oh.

He had completely forgotten to tie his bow tie.

He reached to fix it, but Elsa gently batted his hands away.

"I got it," she said as she folded, criss crossed, zig zaged and tucked the tie into a bow.

In the silence, Jack inwardly sighed in relief. He had no clue how to tie a bow tie.

Anna, Merida, and Punzie watched from inside the apartment, giggling while munching on their popcorn.

* * *

While Jack drove, he caught Elsa staring at him. That is, mainly his hair.

"You don't like this look?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, I do like it. I simply liked your white hair more."

"Really, huh."

"It was one of the things that made you unique."

Jack nodded contemplatively.

"And hot," Elsa added boldly, and just like that, Jack's system fried.

All he could think was: _Whaaa?_

Completely unaware of that fact, Elsa picked up a hat out of nowhere. "What's this?"

Immediately, Jack recognized it, and out of embarrassment, yelped and tried to snatch it from Elsa's hands. Elsa kept the hat out of reach.

"Frost! Eyes on the road!"

Jack redirected his attention to driving. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Elsa still holding the hat and smirking. He glared at her.

They came upon a red light and Jack stopped the car. Elsa took the chance to place the hat on Jack's head.

Jack shifted and swerved, doing whatever it took to not have the hat on his head.

"Oh my _god_, Jack, just stay still!" Elsa giggled as she continued her attempts.

Jack shook his head. "Nooooooo!"

"Jack, come on. If you didn't want to wear it, then what was this hat even doing in the car?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought it fit the 1920s theme, and tossed it in the car as an afterthought," he admitted. He stopped moving around and looked at her.

They locked eyes.

"Well I agree. It's certainly dapper," Elsa remarked.

"You think so?"

Elsa nodded before acting fast and making her move. She pulled the hat down on unsuspecting Jack's head.

Jack groaned while Elsa giggled.

He shut his eyes. "I look terrible, don't I?"

Elsa continued to laugh, before the car behind them honked loudly.

The two adults immediately shut up. As he realized that it was a green light, Jack began to drive again, keeping his eyes on the road.

After a moment of silence, Elsa spoke up.

"You didn't take the hat off," Elsa pointed out, her lips curving into a small smirk.

"Well right now I'm focused on _not_ driving us off the road," Jack muttered. "I also _really_ don't want to see how awful I look with the hat on."

"Oh, you don't look _that_ bad," Elsa reassured him.

Jack chuckled, and shook his head slightly. "Somehow, I don't trust you when you say that."

Elsa faked a gasp. "You don't trust _me_?"

Jack smirked. "It's a shame you're only in the music business, my queen. You would make a darn good actress."

Elsa threw her head back laughing, and Jack caught himself staring at her. He couldn't help it. He looked away and hid his grin. _Geez, Jack, get a grip and focus on driving, _he told himself.

When Elsa wasn't looking, he removed the hat.

He sighed and commenced steering, every so often sneaking looks at Elsa.

* * *

Anna's questions floated from the phone, and Jack and Elsa answered.

"Disguise?"

"Check."

"Brown hair?"

"Check."

"Brown eyes?"

"Check."

"Costumes?"

"Check."

"Masks?"

Jack and Elsa carefully placed their masks on. "Check," they said together.

"You guys are officially okay to go," Merida said from the phone.

"You two behave," Punzie teased.

Elsa rolled her eyes.

The three girls hung up.

As Jack held the car door for Elsa, she stepped out. He offered a hooked arm.

"Wait, you're forgetting something."

Jack furrowed his eyebrows. "I am?"

"Yes," she whispered as she pulled out the boater hat that she was hiding behind her back.

Jack groaned, but Elsa stood on her tip toes, placing the hat on his head. Again.

"There." She beamed. "You look great. I mean it."

Jack decided to let her win. "If you say so, my queen."

* * *

The couple entered the mansion through a massive double door. There were already a ton of people inside, dancing to the loud music.

Jack took one look at the main ballroom. "I feel like I don't belong here," he said to Elsa.

Elsa scrunched her nose. "Why?"

"All I see are celebrities. Literally."

"Really? How can you even recognize them behind their masks?"

"I feel like I'm the only non-celebrity here," Jack whined.

"Hey, look at me." Jack turned to her. "There's no such thing as not belonging here. It's a masquerade. We're all wearing masks, nobody knows who anybody else is."

"Yea, well, I know who you are," he said defiantly.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Is that Simba King?" Jack pointed.

Elsa immediately whipped around. "Where?"

"The one with the red feather boa."

"Red feather boa? God, that's cocky," Elsa replied. "But yes, that does seem to be Simba King."

Jack's eyes met hers. "Hm. I'm surprised you know him."

"Are you kidding? His dad, Mufusa, is a legendary actor."

Jack grinned giddily. "I wonder is Mufasa is here, too."

Elsa pouted. "You're making me feel like a mediocre celebrity," she mumbled into his shoulder.

It was the most adorable pout ever, and Jack wondered how he refrained from kissing her right then and there.

"No, you're not. Do you have any idea how many people in this world love you? They're all crazy for you!"

Elsa flashed a charming smile, which made Jack weak on his knees.

They began walking through the dancing crowd, which was difficult for Jack-his legs had turned to jelly at the sight of so many celebrities.

They came across a certain someone, and instantaneously parted like the Red Sea.

Jack walked behind the masculine person, while Elsa walked in front.

"Is that _Mufasa_ King?" Jack mouthed, an incredulous look on his face.

Elsa nodded, and Jack was astonished. He poked Mufasa, who didn't seem to notice.

"He's real!" Jack exclaimed when they finally linked arms again.

Elsa nodded again. "Yes, he's real." _He's such a kid_, she thought. _And it's too cute._

She stood a little taller and placed a kiss on Jack's cheek. She couldn't help it.

Jack was still in disbelief from both Mufasa and the kiss (though he was more shocked about the second).

* * *

Elsa underestimated the cleverness of a human being.

She and Jack hadn't been at the ball for 20 minutes before she thought she heard someone behind her ask, "Hey, is that Elsa Winters?"

Elsa resisted the urge to turn around. It would only give her identity away.

By the time Jack came back with drinks for the both of them, the same person gasped and whispered not so softly, "Who is she with?"

Elsa rolled her eyes.

Noticing her annoyed state, Jack's brows furrowed in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Even with the mask, they figured out who I am," she muttered while taking a sip.

Jack was about to ask who "they" were, but he heard the whispers followed by a couple of squeals and giggles. "So who do you think she's dating?" One of the women asked to the others.

Jack gave the circle of women a scornful look.

He offered Elsa a hand. "Let's pick a different spot."

* * *

"Damn, how many rooms does this mansion have?" Jack asked.

Elsa shrugged. "It is a mansion… "

They must've made their way through at least 20 rooms by now.

"There was the ballroom, the room with the huge bar, the room with the pool… "

"And the one with the disco ball, another filled with feather boas… "

Elsa nodded. All of the rooms were filled with people, all dancing, drunk, or both.

The couple continued to walk, pushing past the crowd.

"Wait, Jack," Elsa paused.

"Yea?"

"Turn that way. I think there's a hallway there."

Jack nodded. They managed to squeeze through the crowd and into a hallway.

"Wow. It's empty," Jack said in relief as he scouted the place.

Elsa looked left and right. She found a staircase. "Should we go up?"

"Yep. Right behind you."

They made their way up the stairs. The room they came upon was…

"A library," Elsa whispered.

Jack groaned. "When we're together, why are we bound to go somewhere full of books?"

Elsa lifted her eyebrows.

"Uh- n-not that it's a bad thing." he added.

She smiled in response, but proceeded to the other side. "Let's not read books today," she said as she darted out of the library and into another room.

Jack picked up his pace to follow her.

It was a music room. There were several old-fashioned microphones, along with various other instruments.

Elsa was sitting on the piano.

"How about writing songs instead?" she suggested with genuine excitement.

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "Do you ever not think about work?"

Elsa thought for a second, and remained sheepishly silent.

Immediately, his palm went to his forehead.

Elsa tried to defend herself. "But songwriting is fun! I do what I love for a living, unlike most people."

"Still, there are deadlines in the music industry. That must be stressful," Jack retorted. "Stress and fun are complete opposites, my queen."

"I mean, yes, there are deadlines, but they keep me organized."

"That's besides the point. Are you having fun writing songs?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Even now?" Jack pressed on. "Have there been no bumps on the road? Does songwriting come easily?"

Elsa scoffed. "I'll admit, sometimes I have to take extra time on my own for the sake of songwriting, but hey, flawless songwriting takes effort," she said as she examined her nails.

Jack laughed. "_Flawless_?"

"Questioning the perfection of my songs, Frost?"

"Nope." He stepped closer to her. With Elsa sitting on the piano, their heights were evened out. "The songs are flawless," he confessed, "just like the perfect person who wrote them."

"You're such a flirt. You know that?"

"Yea, but we all know the queen digs flirts."

"Does she?" Elsa questioned with an amused smile on her lips.

"Hopefully," Jack moved closer until their noses were barely brushing, "otherwise I'm screwed."

Elsa smiled before noticing their noses. Her heart skipped a beat. Jack's eyes lowered to look at her lips.

Elsa blinked, and just like that, the spell was broken.

Immediately, she pulled away. "Seriously, let's get to work. I meant what I said about writing songs."

Jack paused for a moment. "You really are all work and no play," he teased, as he tried to hide his disappointment.

"That's not true."

Jack shrugged. "Seems true to me."

He noticed, for the first time, all the walls that Elsa Winters had built up. When they have moments, she always pulls away. She guards herself with her walls. But why? What for?

Jack knit his eyebrows. He actually thought that he got close to breaking those walls, but apparently not. He most likely wasn't the first one to try.

"Jack? Hello?" Elsa asked in a sing song voice. She waved and tried to get his attention. "Are you okay?"

"Have you gone out on dates with other people?" Jack blurted out.

"I- " Elsa was taken aback. Flustered, she managed to stammer, "I d-don't often go out on dates."

"Why? Someone like you- lots of guys must ask you out."

"And I tell lots of them no."

"Why?" Jack asked again. "Sorry. I'm being really nosey aren't I?"

Elsa flashed a weak smile and went back to the original topic. "You sing. Do you ever write songs?"

"Me?" Jack pointed at himself. "I- No, I'm not- I don't really- "

"Do you want to help me write one?"

"Did you not hear anything I just said?"

"I heard a lie."

Jack smiled. "You got me." He made his way to the piano bench. "Do you have any ideas for lyrics?"

"I might," Elsa said. "Just answer one question. Do a lot of people ask you out?"

Jack shrugged. "Occasionally. But just like you do, I tell them no."

"Okay." Elsa nodded and pulled out her journal.

"Do you carry that with you everywhere?"

"Hush."

Before he could protest, she began scribbling down lyrics, and as soon as she got a few solid lines, she slid off the piano. As she sat down next to Jack, she placed the journal on the music rack.

Jack watched Elsa played a couple notes on the piano experimentally before reading the lyrics on the page.

Elsa paused, and after making a decision, she cleared her throat. "Okay, so here's what I have so far."

She played a few notes and sang.

_You let all the girls go_

_Makes you feel good, don't it?_

_Behind your Broadway show_

_I heard a boy say, "Please, don't hurt me"_

"What do you think?"

"Was that about me?"

"Of course not."

"Why did you write about me?."

"I just said that I did not write about you."

"I heard a lie."

Elsa remained silent.

Jack smirked. "Sorry, my queen, but you walked right into that one."

"Alright. I did, but what are your thoughts?"

_Holy shit, Elsa Winters freaking wrote a freaking song about me! _Jack snapped out of his thoughts and cleared his throat. "I thought the lyrics were great, but maybe the piano part can go like this… "

He converted some of the notes Elsa played into chords.

Elsa smiled unbelievingly. "Wow, you completely transformed the piano part."

"I did? Is that bad?"

"You elevated it from plain to beautiful. It's amazing. That's talent."

"Well, you're not so bad yourself, my queen." He leaned over and nudged Elsa.

She nudged him back with a grin.

Elsa put the new piano part and the lyrics together and played what they had so far.

Completely lost in watching her doing what she loved, Jack sighed and rested his head on his hands… and his elbows on the piano, which resulted in a funky combination of notes.

Despite that, Elsa continued to sing, but Jack blurted out, "Shit, I'm so sorry!"

Elsa burst out laughing. "No, it's okay." She chuckled. "I was running out of ideas anyways."

She looked at her journal. "Actually… "

Somehow it provided some inspiration, and as a few lines of lyrics suddenly sparked in her brain, she jotted down a few words.

"How about this?" She began playing the piano again.

_You've carried on so long_

_You couldn't stop if you tried it._

She trailed off, not knowing what to sing next.

Sensing this, Jack picked up the piano part, and sang some lyrics of his own.

_You've built your wall so high_

_That no one could climb it,_

_But I'm gonna try_

He paused.

"What's next?" Elsa asked, pen in hand.

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful? _

"That's all I've got," Jack said with a sigh. "Sorry."

"No, that's good," she replied.

Jack smiled as she tapped her chin with the pen. _That's a cute habit_, he thought.

"Oh, we can repeat that. So it goes like this." She played the piano part again.

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful?_

_Would you let me see beneath your perfect?_

Jack nodded and Elsa continued.

_Take it off now, boy, take it off now, boy_

_I wanna see inside_

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?_

"How's that?" she asked.

"It was flawless as promised, my queen."

"I'm flattered," Elsa said, "but the song's not done yet."

"Right." They still had to write the other 65% of it. "Allow me."

Jack knew the verse had to be similar to the first, which made things a lot easier for him.

_You tell all the boys "No"_

_Makes you feel good, yeah._

_I know you're out of my league_

_But that won't scare me away, oh, no_

"Now all that's left is the bridge."

Elsa was actually quite skilled at writing bridges, so that was done in almost no time. After going over a few parts, the couple finally completed the song.

"Did we just… ?"

"Write a song in under an hour? _Yes_," Elsa answered for him.

Jack grinned, and impulsively hugged Elsa. She hugged him back.

* * *

After leaving the music room, Jack and Elsa were descending the stairs when a woman whooped loudly.

They turned to look at her. She leapt from the stairs, fully clothed, into the pool.

The crowd cheered as she landed in the pool, splashing water everywhere.

Elsa gasped, appalled.

Jack shook his head. "You really need to loosen up."

"If by 'loosen up', you mean doing what that woman just did, then no thank you."

Jack chuckled. "You don't have to jump into a pool." Then he noticed that the songs changed, going from party anthems to music for slow dancing. "Dance with me."

Elsa backed away. "Oh, now you've crossed the line. I don't dance."

"I wrote a song with you, so you kind of owe me a dance, darling." He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

"So that's the new nickname now? Darling?"

"Yep! It has a 1920s ring to it."

They easily blended into the crowd, but Elsa felt like the one idiot who couldn't dance.

Just as she was getting the hang of it, she accidentally stepped on Jack's foot.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry," she apologized. She instantly took a step back, but Jack wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him.

"It's okay."

She looked away and blushed as she apologized again. "Sorry, this is exactly why I don't dance."

"That's okay."

And even though Jack was there, and it was a romantic setting, Elsa was uneasy. She could feel the stares and hear some people giggling at her poor dance skills.

Jack sensed this. "They're just jealous."

"Of what?"

"Your looks," he replied, "and the fact that you're dancing with someone as dashing as me."

Elsa rolled her eyes.

They rocked back and forth, swaying to the slow music. With Jack's hand in her hand, his arm around her, their noses close together, and their foreheads touching, Elsa fought to keep her eyes open.

She locked gazes with Jack, and they danced the night away.

* * *

As she undid her seat belt (because yes, Elsa always follows the seat belt laws), just before she stepped out of the car, she turned to Jack and said, "You're wrong, you know?"

"About what?"

"About me being all work and no play."

Jack smirked. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Prove it, then."

Elsa crossed her arms. "I don't need to prove anything," she huffed.

Jack sat back in his seat. "Alright my not-so-fun qu-"

Elsa leaned forward and captured him in a soft kiss. Jack shut up.

And suddenly he was kissing back and his hands were in her hair. They finally came up for air.

"Did that prove anything?" Elsa asked, out of breath.

All Jack could do was nod.

"Thanks for tonight, Jack, I really mean it."

"A-anytime."

* * *

Elsa stepped out of the elevator, beaming.

There's a light spring in her step, but Elsa reminds herself. _It's not love. Not yet. _

Nonetheless, there was a giddy smile plastered on her porcelain features.

The smile didn't wear out. Not even when she went to sleep.

* * *

Jack took a few deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. Then he blinked.

He pinched himself. Two times. It hurt, both times. _Oh my god._

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed. He got out of the car and cheered, doing a little victory dance.

By the time he got back in his car, he had a crazy, stupid grin on his face. He wondered how he was ever going to drive in a straight line after that.

He didn't. He got pulled over by a police officer. Officer Baymax asked Jack to step out of the car and perform a few sobriety tests.

In his robotic but seemingly soothing voice, Officer Baymax declared, "It appears that you are not drunk, Mr. Frost."

Jack wasn't really listening.

"You have sustained no injuries. However, your serotonin levels have dropped, and your cortisol levels have risen. Your dopamine levels have spiked. Diagnosis: Love."

"Wait, what?"


	11. Chapter 11

Elsa yawned. She opened her eyes slightly, and a dozen rays of sunlight invaded her eyes.

She turned away from the window.

"Boo!"

Elsa screeched.

Anna, Merida, and Punzie giggled, satisfied with Elsa's blood-curdling scream.

In a tiny fit of rage, Elsa catapulted a series of pillows at the three of them, who in return, yelped and apologized.

"Okay, okay, we're sorry for scaring you."

"And for waking you from your dreams."

"Say, Elsa, what-sorry- _who_ were you dreaming of?"

All four females knew exactly who it was.

Elsa smiled. She didn't deny it.

"How was the date?" Punzie asked.

"Well it was-"

Suddenly Merida's phone went off. She checked it, and cursed. She immediately got up and ran to the kitchen. "Elsa, wake up!"

"I'm already up," Elsa said, confused.

"Well hurry up and get dressed."

"What's the rush?"

"You have a meeting scheduled with Gary today!"

Elsa gasped.

"Tsk, tsk."

Elsa directed a glare at Anna.

"You completely forgot didn't you?" Anna asked.

Elsa pretended not to hear and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. "When's the meeting?" she asked Merida through toothpaste foam.

"In 45 minutes," Merida hollered from the kitchen. "By the way, you're welcome for reminding you."

"Thanks, Mer," Elsa said lovingly. She continued brushing with one hand, and with the other, began texting someone.

After a few minutes, she was ready to go to the meeting.

Merida handed Elsa her morning tea and some breakfast. Elsa thanked her again.

"What would you do without me?" Merida asked.

Elsa grinned, flashing her clean pearly whites. "I can't imagine a life without you, Mer."

"Hey!" shouted two voices. "How about us?"

Elsa shrugged, pretending not to care.

Anna and Punzie pouted. "Meanie."

"Without you three, life goes on, but I'm gone, because I'd die without you three," Elsa declared.

"How about Jack?" Merida asked.

Punzie said, "Yea, he must be important to you. I mean he practically cast a spell on you last night."

Elsa looked up from her tea. "What do you mean?"

Anna giggled. "You don't know?"

Elsa's eyes widened. "What do I not know?"

Punzie shook her head. "When you came home… "

"We were waiting for you in the living room, but you had the dumbest grin on your face, and walked right past us," Anna continued. "You went straight to bed, and you had sweet dreams, right?" She waggled her eyebrows.

"What?" Elsa asked in disbelief.

"Yea, and did we mention what time you came back?"

Elsa shook her head.

"It was almost 4 AM," Merida answered.

Elsa almost choked on her tea, "4 AM?"

Merida nodded and checked the time. "You should get going, lassie."

Elsa grabbed her bag and a light jacket. She left the building and felt the cool air, but the disbelief still clouded her mind. _4 AM?_

* * *

"He's definitely got it bad," Hiccup mumbled to Astrid as he handed the customer's drink to her.

Astrid placed the drink and a doughnut on the tray before handing it to the customer. "You don't say," she muttered back.

They were staring at Jack. He was sitting at a table, and his coffee remained untouched.

"I'm gonna go check on him," Hiccup said.

"Hey, this is your shift, too."

"I'll make up for it later."

"Fine."

Hiccup placed a kiss on Astrid's cheek before ducking under the counter and heading to Jack's table.

"So… what's new?" Hiccup asked as he pulled a seat over to Jack's table.

Jack rested his chin on his hands. "Last night… "

Hiccup waited for an answer, but Jack just faded in his thoughts.

"What about last night?" Hiccup asked.

"Well there was the masquerade ball, and we saw Simba King, and Mufasa King. Mufasa King! _Mufasa King! Mu-fa-sa_ King!" Jack reached over the table and shook Hiccup's fragile, thin shoulders.

"Agh! Yea, I get it! Mufasa King, OW! Let go of my shoulders."

"Then I wrote a song with her in under an hour. _Under_ an hour, Hiccup!"

"Yay, under an hour, so talented, so talented," Hiccup muttered weakly. He rubbed his shoulders.

"Then we danced… "

"Yay, dancing."

"Then we kissed… "

"Yay, kissing."

"And on my way home, I got pulled over by an officer… "

"Yay- WHAT?" Now it was Hiccup's turn to grab Jack's shoulder. "You got pulled over?"

"Oh, nothing happened-"

"If you got a ticket-"

"Relax, Hicc-"

"I swear to Odin-"

"I'm telling you, nothing happened-"

"I am _not_ paying _any_ of _your_ fines again-"

"Did you not hear anything I just said?"

"You two need to keep it down." Astrid came over and punched them both on their shoulders.

"OW!"

"The other customers are staring, so you two need to pipe down. And stop whining, that didn't hurt that much," Astrid hissed.

Jack and Hiccup nodded. "Yes it did," they whimpered.

Astrid rolled her eyes and went back behind the counter to continue her shift.

"Anyways, where were we?" Hiccup asked.

"I got pulled over, and I did _not_ get fined because I was a perfectly well-behaved civilian who did not break any laws in any way."

"Good."

"The officer went all 'personal healthcare companion' on me and said something weird about my levels of hormones and neurotoxins," Jack rolled his eyes, "and my diagnosis was love. Can you believe it?"

Hiccup smirked. "Oh I believe it, alright."

"_What?_ Why?"

"Well, you haven't touched your coffee. You always finish your coffee, so I knew something was up."

The truth was, Jack was stuck daydreaming. Drinking coffee meant waking up, which was the last thing he wanted to do.

Jack was about to protest and make up an excuse, but his phone buzzed.

Hiccup got up. "I'm going back to work. Astrid's gonna kill me."

"Damn right I am!" Astrid said from behind the counter.

Jack checked his phone. Elsa had just sent him a text message.

If he were alone at home, he would've jumped up and done a dance in excitement, but since he was in public, he opted to give himself a high-five.

Hi. Sorry this is a late notice, but I was wondering if you can go to a recording session with me?

Listed under the text was an address and a time.

Immediately, Jack got up and left the shop, taking his coffee with him.

* * *

Elsa secured her headphones. She chuckled as Jack nearly dropped his.

Gary's amplified voice surrounded them. "Hey! Those cost a lot of money. I repeat, a _lot_," he said from the control room. He pointed a finger at Jack. "Be careful."

Jack winced at his harsh tone.

As she helped Jack adjust his headphones, Elsa whispered, "He probably didn't have his morning macchiato yet. He's cranky without it."

Elsa grinned when she was done. "It's nice seeing you with silver hair again."

Jack didn't know what to think, so he said something real clever, like: "Oh… um, okay."

Elsa walked back to her spot. They stood behind their mics, facing each other.

"So I just sing into this mic?" Jack asked, pointing at the microphone in front of him.

Elsa nodded. Jack wiped the sweat off his palms.

"Chill, pal. You'll be fine," Gary said from the other side of the glass.

* * *

After they finished recording the song, Gary tapped the glass. "That was a lovely song."

"Thanks Gary."

"It was co-written, I'm assuming?"

"Yep!" Jack answered.

"Well I'm going to finish editing the song. You two are free to go."

Elsa grabbed her jacket. "Bye, Gary."

She linked arms with Jack. "Let's go."

He looked back at Gary. "What did he mean by editing?"

"Oh, it's just arrangement, noise reduction, etcetera."

Jack thought for a moment. "Do you want to get coffee? And a cup for Gary, too?"

Elsa smiled. "What's with the sudden act of kindness?"

"You said so yourself, he's cranky without his morning coffee." He tilted his head. "And besides, he seems to hate me right now, so maybe this'll make him like me just a tad bit more."

"Sure. Only, I don't like coffee."

Jack smacked his forehead. "Right, sorry. You love tea." He counted the drinks on his fingers. "So one macchiato for Gary, tea for you, and a cappuccino for me."

Elsa nodded. She stopped in her tracks as they approached the shop. "You should go. It'll be less suspicious."

"Sure." Jack looked around checking to see if there were any cameras nearby before leaning down and pecking Elsa on the lips.

She smiled. "I'll meet you back at the building, okay?"

"Okay. See you soon."

* * *

Elsa was standing in the corridor outside the recording studio. Jack entered the building, holding a coffee carrier tray, with three out of four spots occupied.

"My friend, Hiccup, just called. He got arrested."

Elsa winced. "Oh."

"I have to bail him out, because I owe him," Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "So I need to leave now. I'm so sorry-"

"It's fine-"

"I swear I'll make it up to you-"

"No really, it's-"

"Ohmygod I'm the worst boyfriend ever, somebodypleasepushmeoffacliffrightnow-"

"Oh, for _god's sake_, Jack, do you really think one little mishap will make me hate you forever?"

Jack looked at his shoes, then at Elsa. "Yeah… "

Elsa shook her head.

"Oh, uh, hey!" A new idea popped into Jack's head. "We can hang out at my place. Uh, that is, uh, if you're free anytime soon… "

Elsa blinked at his quick transition from abashed to excited. "I have time tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, then." Jack smiled. He looked down at the coffee. "Oh right. I wasn't sure what you and Gary wanted to add to your drinks, so I kind of got everything." He placed the tray on a table and started going through everything. "There's milk, creamer, sugar, sweetener, brown sugar, uh… natural cane sugar-"

Elsa laughed and pressed a light kiss to his lips.

"What was that for?" Jack asked.

"For being considerate."

Her arms snaked behind his neck.

"And kind."

Another short kiss.

Elsa pulled away. Jack made a frustrated sound due to her teasing.

"And-"

The kisses were a bit too short and sweet for Jack. He desperately needed more. So when she leaned in again, he drew it out.

"Okay, we have to stop," Elsa giggled, "otherwise Gary will never get his macchiato." She tried to maintain a serious facade. "And Hiccup will be stuck at the police station."

"Guess Hiccup will have to wait."

"No he can't!"

Jack chuckled. "Just one more," he mumbled, leaning down.

"Fine," she murmured back, granting him another kiss.

They pulled apart. Barely. Foreheads touching and noses brushing.

"You should go. Your friend needs you," she said, catching her breath.

"He does, doesn't he?" He stepped away before changing his mind and bringing his hand to the small of her back. "Wait-"

"Go!" Elsa pushed him away playfully.

"Okay, okay!" Jack stumbled to the exit, laughing.

Elsa shook her head, a stupid grin on her lips. She held onto the coffee carry tray with one hand and reached for the door to the studio with the other.

Jack rapidly turned and ran back to Elsa. Catching her completely by surprise, he gently cupped her chin and gave her one final kiss.

When he pulled away, he stepped back and held the door for her. He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Thank you."

"Anything for my queen."

"Bye, Jack."

"See you tomorrow, Elsa."

* * *

Gary's eyes landed on the coffee and instantly lit up. "Is that macchiato for me?"

"Yes."

Gary grinned as Elsa handed him a cup of his favorite morning drink. He took a sip and hummed merrily.

Elsa giggled. "Sometimes I wonder if you love coffee more than people."

Gary chose to ignore that comment. "Thanks for the macchiato."

"Based on how cranky you were, I assumed you needed it."

Gary chuckled. "Actually no. I already had one earlier today."

Elsa looked up from her tea. "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Gary sighed. "I was just giving your boyfriend a rough time 'cause I wanted to."

"Boyfriend?"

"Well he is, right? Chill, I won't tell anyone." He took a sip of his coffee. "But he's gotta pass my inspection to date my girl."

Elsa scoffed. "He passed my sister's inspection. And Punzie's. And Merida's. That says enough already."

"You're one of my closest pals from college. I gotta look out for you. If he breaks your heart… "

"I know, I know. You're going to punt him to Venus, Punzie's going to whack him with her frying pan and send him to Mercury, and after Merida chases him to the Sun with her bow and arrow, Anna's right hook will send him soaring from there all the way to Pluto."

Gary chuckled and nodded, indicating that she was spot on.

"I'll have you know that Jack was actually the one who suggested getting you the coffee."

Gary's expression altered. "Hm… How considerate of him."

Elsa couldn't hold back her smile. "That's exactly what I said."

* * *

Jack coughed. "You're welcome," he said, expecting a "thank you".

Hiccup sighed and held his arms out. "Thanks," he said dramatically, "for bailing me out."

Jack smirked. "I remember someone complaining about paying all of my fines… "

"Mine did not cost nearly as much as yours did."

"Point taken."

They began walking back to the coffee shop.

"So," Jack said. "Arrested for destruction of property. How did that happen?"

"Let me just start by saying that it was not my fault. There was a cat, and I have no idea how, but it stole one of my gadgets, and then it ran away, and I followed it, and it led me to this dark empty alley. There was a catapult-"

"Okay, this story is getting ridiculous. No wonder the cops didn't believe it."

"But it's the truth, I'm telling you!"

"Okay, okay!"

"Stupid cat." Hiccup was on the verge of venting and yelling the sky in frustration, but he froze.

Jack stopped walking. "Hiccup?"

"It's the cat." Hiccup pointed.

Sure enough, standing in front of them was a black cat with green eyes.

Jack blinked. "Okay, I'm gone."

"What? Don't leave me alone with it!"

"It's a freakin' _black cat_ !"

"Racist much?"

"Nope. Just superstitious."

Hiccup rolled his eyes.

* * *

Jack had tried cleaning his room. He really tried. The thing was, he had spent so much time building the blanket fort, he forgot about the untidy state of his room.

He had a movie date planned. However, they wouldn't have to go to a cinema, they would just stay in his room, under the cozy blanket fort. (That damned blanket fort. It had taken blood, sweat, and tears to make. Well, there was no blood shed, but yes, plenty of sweat and tears.)

_Ding-dong!_

"Agh!" Jack quickly tossed a pair of worn socks into the laundry bin.

He took a quick look at his room. It definitely looked clean. Or at least, cleaner than usual. Hopefully Elsa wouldn't mind the huge messy pile of comic books. Or the actual-size Captain America shield sticking out from under his bed. Or the yeti plush toy resting on top of his television that he was quite fond of.

He ran to the door, almost slipping on the recently swept wood floorboards. "Hi, Elsa!"

"Hello, Jack." She stepped inside the apartment. "Gary said he's done with the song. When do you want to release it?"

He felt her hands loop behind his neck. Elsa stood on her tiptoes and tilted her head up, just so that they're lips were millimeters apart.

"Oh wait. There's the play," he mumbled, and their lips brushed slightly.

"No seriously, when do you want to release the song?" she asked, not bothering to step away or give him a kiss. So they stood there, murmuring to each other.

"Releasing it would raise suspicions about us being together."

"True."

"Shouldn't it be something you discuss with Merida? She's your manager after all."

"You're right. I'll ask her about it later." She unlooped her arms from his neck and stepped away to look around the apartment.

Jack held his arms out. "What, no kiss?"

Elsa grinned. "Sorry. It was the only way to get your attention, since you don't enjoy talking about work that much."

"That's not true, I-" Jack tried to protest, but he found no words.

Elsa giggled. Jack pouted and pulled her back to him, leaning in for a proper kiss.

She shut her eyes as he nipped her nose playfully.

"I couldn't resist. You know you have an adorable nose, right?"

Elsa rolled her eyes.

"So what do you have planned for today?" she asked.

"You'll see."

Together, they walked to his room, and the first thing Elsa saw was the stunning blanket fort. Then, she inhaled the addicting scent of freshly popped popcorn.

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "I sort of planned a movie afternoon."

"Sounds great." She smiled. "I haven't seen a movie in a long time."

Jack perked up. "Really?" He walked towards the TV. She followed him.

"Is that Bigfoot?" she asked, pointing at the stuffed animal.

Jack shook his head. "Wrong creature, my queen. That is a yeti."

"It's charming."

Jack's heart leapt. "R-really? You think so?"

She nodded.

"Its name is Phil."

Elsa raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything.

Jack cleared his throat and then gestured at the array of DVDs. "Pick a movie. Any movie."

"Any?"

Jack nodded.

"How about a Captain America movie? I've never watched any of those."

Jack's shoulder slumped.

"What's wrong? You said I could choose any movie."

Jack sighed. "Why Captain America?" _Did you choose him because he's hot? And I'm not hot enough compared to him?_

Elsa's eyes shifted to the side in confusion. She furrowed her brows. "Because I assumed that he was your favorite superhero."

Jack sighed in relief and hugged Elsa. "You know me so well."

Elsa snorted, but returned the hug. "You have an actual size Captain America shield. It wasn't that far of a stretch."

They settled down under the cozy blanket fort and munched on popcorn while watching the movie. They watched as the little Brooklyn boy grew to a six foot tall man. They watched as he led missions and freed captives. Then, they watched as the Captain prepared to direct his plane into the sea, to sink it and himself, too.

Jack heard Elsa gasp. "Yea, I know, This part always gets me too." But when he looked at Elsa, he realized that she was all out crying.

"Hey Elsa, it's okay, it's okay, he's going to be fine. He's not dead."

Even though Jack tried his best to comfort her, Elsa couldn't stop sobbing. Her parents had died in a plane crash. Their death had lead to a dark period of her life, and this scene triggered countless awful memories.

Jack reached under his bed and pulled out a box of tissues.

Elsa managed a small laugh. "You keep tissues under your bed?" she asked as she took a tissue.

"Some of the best movies are also the saddest ones."

Elsa dried her eyes. "I'm sorry." She took a deep breath. "My parents… they died in a plane crash."

Jack looked down. "Oh. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"You didn't know. I never told you." She sighed. "It's not something that usually comes up."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I- I don't want to. Not now."

"Are you sure?"

Elsa nodded.

They stayed silent for a while. Jack wrapped his arms tightly around Elsa. She snuggled up against him and closed her eyes, trying not to think of her parents. Out of the blue, Jack began humming a melody.

Elsa sat up. "What song is that?"

He shrugged. "I just made it up."

"Someone's thinking about work."

"I guess the queen's rubbing off on me."

Elsa hummed along with Jack, and they hummed in perfect harmony. She closed her eyes again, leaning her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Elsa couldn't sleep that night. There was a hefty weight on her chest. An insanely heavy chunk of guilt. It constantly hung above her head for six years straight. It came back to haunt her every now and then, but she's definitely gotten better in the past few years.

But this time. This time, the guilt crushed her. It hurt more than ever, and Elsa had no idea why.

She called Jack. To her surprise, he picked up on the first ring.

"Elsa?"

"Hi Jack. I'm sorry for calling this late at night-"

"Nah, it's fine. I'm still awake."

"Are you out with friends, or… ?"

"Just couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same." Elsa sighed. "Jack?"

"Yea?"

"I have something to confess. Remember when we were watching the movie and the plane went down?"

"We don't have to talk about it. I'm sorry for pushing earlier today-"

"No. I need to say this. Please."

She took a deep breath. "My parents were on that plane because of me. I told them I wanted to have a music career, so they reached out to some musician friends." She paused and silently told herself not to start crying. "And- and they flew to England just for me, but… "

"It's okay, Elsa, it's okay."

"No it's not. Not long after the plane crash, my parent's friends planned a trip to Africa. That plane burned, and they died, too."

"Elsa, please, you can't blame yourself for that."

She sighed again. "I haven't been on a plane in six years."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Elsa frowned. "I… I don't know. It's just that I've been keeping all this guilt to myself. Even Anna doesn't know how much I blame myself for this. I guess it was about time I finally told someone."

"Well. If we're telling secrets… I was once in a car crash."

"Oh god. That's terrible," Elsa whispered.

"Ellie was in the car. She was injured, seeing her in the hospital and knowing it was my fault, it felt… "

"Like someone stabbed you in the heart," Elsa finished for him.

"Yea, and going to the hospital to see her when she broke her wrist… I was so freaking worried." Jack paused for a moment. "But that day at the hospital, I bumped into you again. It was the third time we saw each other by chance, and I don't know, that day, it just felt like destiny. I knew if I didn't see you again after that, I was going to lose my mind."

Elsa chuckled.

"But I did see you again, and I still lost my mind, because I'm crazy for you."

Elsa's heart melted, hearing those words. "Wow… I'm afraid I can't compete with that."

"I didn't realize this was a contest. But, go ahead, confess anything."

"I stole chocolate from my sister," Elsa said in a hushed whisper.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Jack joked.

"I am." Elsa smiled to herself. "Your turn."

"I stole my sister's iPod to listen to your music."

"I once forgot my metrocard and snuck into the train station through the emergency exit door."

"I jumped over the turnstiles a couple times."

"I didn't know you were that type of person, Jack Frost."

"I can say the same about you, my queen."

"Well, that's the kind of thing you learn about someone if you talk to her at," she paused to check her phone, "3:56 in the night."

"Is that really the time?"

"Yes."

"You should get some sleep."

"I know."

"Good night, Elsie."

Elsa eyes widened in fear, sensing the beginnings of a dreadful nickname. "Don't call me that."

"Aww," he whined, "but I like the sound of it."

"Please, Jack-"

"But, Elsieeee-"

"I am not having this argument at 4 AM."

"_El_sie."

"No. We'll talk about this another time. Good night, Jack."

"Fine. Sweet dreams, Els-"

"Don't you dare-"

"-sie."

Click. She set her phone aside.

Elsa closed her eyes. The next time she sees him, she's going to wipe that Cheshire grin off his face.


	12. Chapter 12

"You're the better singer."

"You have the cuter smile."

Jack and Elsa were having a competition, showering compliments back and forth. The two were sitting on Elsa's couch. She had both of her legs crossed over Jack's. Her head rested on the crook of his neck, while he had one arm around her.

"Your hair is longer than mine," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously." He began playing with said hair. Elsa looked at his. "Your hair is whiter than mine."

"You're hotter than I am."

"You have the cooler name."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Did you just-"

"Yes I did. Good pun, right?"

Jack nodded hesitantly. "Sure. Just know that I'm the Prince of Puns."

"Of course. By the way, you're the funnier one."

"Well that doesn't matter because you have the most dazzling smile," he argued. "You're the total package. Smart, beautiful, and talented."

"You," she poked his chest playfully, "are the most charming person I know."

"So I'm your Prince charming?"

"Possibly. Am I your Cinderella?"

"Definitely. You always wear killer shoes and you never fail to amaze me."

Elsa's smile grew wider. "You can always make me smile, no matter where I am and how horrible my day has been."

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine-"

Elsa chuckled.

"Oh right, and you have the adorabler laugh," he added.

"That's not a word! You clearly have the better grammar," Elsa joked.

Jack pouted.

Elsa took pity. "But you have the ability to make creative new words." Jack smiled, and she continued. "You're the creative one."

"You always make my day, even when I don't get to see you in person. Literally one phone call makes me ecstatic."

"You're always the cheerful one. You're the fun one. Anything you touch, whether it's boring or scary, instantly turns into something exhilarating."

"Well you are like a magical snow angel that makes everyone and everything around you more magical just by being near you."

Elsa was almost touched. Almost. That is, until some suspicion brewed. "Wait. Did you get that line from a movie?"

"No. I swear!" Jack held his hands up.

Elsa glared at him.

"Not really."

She playfully hit him on the head. "You-"

"It was from a TV show, and hey, at least I altered it a little!"

Elsa rolled her eyes and gave her signature smile as Jack pulled her close for an eskimo kiss. Everything simply calmed down, and things became quiet and intense, which was really what Jack and Elsa wanted. They pressed their foreheads together, it was something they did easily. They could sit and stare into each other's eyes, or close them and just enjoy each other's warmth for hours.

"You're the reason I can't go to sleep at night," she said softly. "Thanks to you, reality is finally better than my dreams."

Jack smiled, then narrowed his eyes. He searched Elsa's eyes. "Where'd you steal that from?"

Elsa tore her gaze away and grinned. When she finally met his eyes again, she whispered, "An author."

"Who?"

"Dr. Suess."

"Wow. Not only are you the sweeter one, but you also have the better taste in books."

They laughed and nuzzled noses again.

* * *

_You tell all the boys "No"_

_Makes you feel good, yeah._

_I know you're out of my league_

_But that won't scare me away, oh, no_

_You've carried on so long,_

_You couldn't stop if you tried it._

_You've built your wall so high_

_That no one could climb it,_

_But I'm gonna try_

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful?_

_Would you let me see beneath your perfect?_

_Take it off now, girl, take it off now, girl_

_I wanna see inside_

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?_

_You let all the girls go_

_Makes you feel good, don't it?_

_Behind your Broadway show_

_I heard a boy say, "Please, don't hurt me"_

_You've carried on so long_

_You couldn't stop if you tried it._

_You've built your wall so high_

_That no one could climb it,_

_But I'm gonna try_

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful?_

_Would you let me see beneath your perfect?_

_Take it off now, boy, take it off now, boy_

_I wanna see inside_

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight, oh, tonight?_

_Random lyrics_

_derived from previous lyrics..._

_I'm gonna climb on top your ivory tower_

_I'll hold your hand and then we'll jump right out_

_We'll be falling, falling but that's OK_

_'Cause I'll be right here_

_I just wanna know_

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful?_

_Would you let me see beneath your perfect?_

_Take it off now, girl, take it off now, girl (take it off now, boy, take it off now, boy)_

_'Cause I wanna see inside_

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight, oh, oh, oh, tonight?_

_See beneath your beautiful, oh, tonight._

_We ain't perfect, we ain't perfect, no._

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?_

"Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?" Anna and Punzie sang together.

"Oh my god I love that song so much!" Anna ran over to Elsa and Jack, and hugged them both.

They were all in the living room of Elsa's apartment, listening to the radio. It's been a week since Elsa texted Jack and they recorded their song.

Jack and Elsa were together on the couch, while Anna and Punzie chose to sit on cushions (and give the couple some space). Jack had his arm around Elsa, and her head was on his shoulder, her eyes slightly closed.

Punzie sat up. "Wait, where's Merida?"

That very second, Merida flung open her bedroom door and stormed into the living room. She pointed a finger at Jack and Elsa. "You two. You guys said you would be careful!"

She pointed to the radio. "Is that your song?"

Jack grinned. "Yep, that's our song. It's our baby, lol." Elsa rolled her eyes, and he placed a kiss on top of her head, and her eyes fluttered shut.

Merida rolled her eyes, too. "Well, your 'baby' started this problem." She shoved her laptop to them.

Elsa immediately sat up when she saw. "What?"

The paparazzi managed to snap photos of her and Jack. The photo showed Elsa and Jack exiting a building together. The others showed them entering the same building ten minutes apart, and the paparazzi found it suspicious.

Merida crossed her arms. "They're onto you. Social media is blowing up because of the rumours."

"What do we do?" Elsa asked, worry evident in her eyes.

"You can either 'fess up or deny it and be more careful."

"Just don't admit anything," Anna suggested. "You really don't want the paparazzi and the press getting involved in your love life."

"But think about all the trouble," Punzie argued, "You're going to have to explain what Jack was doing at the building. And besides," she turned to the couple, "you guys don't want to spend your entire lives running and hiding, right?"

Elsa and Jack looked at each other.

Merida sighed. "All I have to say is that the paparazzi are stalkers. No matter what, they're going to be there. You go to work, they're there. You leave, they're there. You're on a date, they're there." She held Elsa's hand. "The press is going to find out sooner or later. You won't be able to hide forever."

Suddenly, Merida's phone chimed. A second time. A couple more times. She pulled it out of her hoodie. "Oh, no."

"What happened?" Punzie asked.

Not saying anything, Merida grabbed her laptop back and googled something. Everyone gathered around her. Merida clicked on a link.

The second they saw the title, everyone in the room cursed. "Shit," they said in unison.

Merida played the video.

A woman, started gushing: "So it was just another boring day at work, and I look up and greet the next customer. He had white hair but he wasn't old so I was like, OH. MY. GAWD. That's Jack, Elsa Winter's boyfriend. I mean, at that point I wasn't sure if they were dating, I just assumed. Then he orders a macchiato, a cappuccino, and a tea, which just so happened to be the tea that Elsa Winters liked, and I was like, ohmygawd, is he ordering something for Elsa Winters because they're dating? I mean, if he orders the same thing that Elsa Winters orders… come on. Coincidence? I think not."

The next video was old footage of Elsa answering a few questions while the cameramen took photos.

One of the questions was: "What kind of tea are you drinking?"

And of course, the press found the connection between what Jack ordered and what Elsa was drinking a month ago.

"That's proof," Merida said.

"Why did I even answer that question about my tea, it was such a dumb question," Elsa mumbled. She buried her head on Jack's shoulder.

Jack shook his head. "Of all baristas, I got the gossipy one."

When they were left alone, Jack stroked Elsa's chin and tilted her head up. "Hey, it's not the end of the world. The photos-"

Elsa kept her eyes down. "I don't want to talk about the photographs right now," she said without the normal gentleness of her voice.

Jack sighed and moved to hug her.

Soon after, they kissed goodbye and Jack left. Heading back home, Jack couldn't help but feel like he needed to do _something_, because Elsa was downright upset.

* * *

Lately, Jack noticed Elsa spacing out more often. He knew that she was contemplating the situation with the photos. He knew that she was conflicted. He knew that she wasn't going to talk it through with him. She was just going to stay behind her walls and try to figure it out on her own.

/

She stayed at home most of the time. She didn't even see Merida to the airport for her short trip to Tahiti.

"I need to heal from the headache that you and Jack have been giving me. Pure vacation. No phones, no computers, no statistics, no concert-setting-up." Merida had said at the apartment door. "You two. Don't do anything stupid when I'm gone."

Elsa had simply returned a weak smile and hugged her friend goodbye for a week.

/

One lazy Sunday morning, Jack decided that he just could not take it anymore and called Elsa's number. They didn't have any plans for today, but he really needed to discuss this with her. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he hoped that Elsa agreed with him. Plus, he had a surprise for her.

Elsa answered her phone. "Hey Jack."

"Can we talk?" He asked, his tone serious.

"Look, if this is about the photos, I told you before, I don't want to-"

"That was almost a week ago. I know what I want to do. Do you?"

"I think I do. But can we not? Aren't you scared that we might be deciding too soon?"

"No. I feel like everytime we see each other now, there's always some dead air between us because of the situation. It bothers me. How can a few photos and a teenage barista affect us so much that we can't even communicate well anymore? We could be writing songs, curing cancer, or changing the world, but instead we sit in silence. Can we just talk this out? I don't get why you always have to push me aside, because we can figure this out together! I'm here for you. Always."

Elsa could feel a lump in her throat. She fought hard to blink away her tears of joy. "Okay." She nodded. "Okay," she repeated. "We have two options. We can stay in the dark and not confirm anything, or, we can tell the world and run with it."

"And what are you thinking?" Jack asked.

"I want to be with you," Elsa said slowly, "and I want the world to know that you are the one I choose." Elsa knew there was more to it though. She was ready to freefall into the unknown with him. She needed to tell him that, but she'll get to it later-it was on her to-do list.

"Oh, thank God."

Elsa giggled. "Did you really think that I'd go on more than one date and record an entire song with you if I didn't want to be with you?"

"No, I'm just glad that we agree."

"You were thinking the same thing?"

"Uh-huh. Can I see you?"

"Now?"

"Mhmm. Please?"

"Fine. But only because you asked so nicely. It's not like I love you or anything," Elsa teased.

Jack grinned and played along. "Wow. You're a real heartbreaker, Elsa Winters. Crushed my heart with a single blow. I should have seen that coming."

* * *

Elsa walked to the park, where Jack said he was waiting for her.

"Where are you?" She asked over the phone.

"You know that huge pond where there are boat races? Near the cherry blossom trees?"

"Yea. Okay I'm here. What are you wearing?"

"I see you! I'm waving."

Elsa saw him sitting on one of the benches around the pond and hung up.

"Hello." Elsa waved back. As heads turned, Elsa was beginning to become aware of the fact that they were in a very public place in the city.

Jack was dressed nicely. He was in a collared shirt with rolled up sleeves. As Elsa sat down next to him, he pointed at his bow tie and grinned. "I did it myself this time!"

Elsa smiled. "Good for you. It only took you a couple weeks," she teased.

Jack pouted.

Elsa pouted back.

Jack gave her the puppy eyes.

Elsa did the same to him.

Jack gawked at her for a while before blinking and shaking his head vigorously. "How are your puppy eyes even legal? You can probably persuade anyone to do anything!"

Elsa chuckled. "Mine are nothing compared to Anna's puppy eyes."

"God, you two are a lethal pair." Jack sighed, then smiled. He pulled out his guitar and started strumming.

Elsa was startled. "Jack... What is this?"

"Oh, it's nothing special," Jack joked. "Only a song I wrote for you." His heart sped up a little (well, a lot) when he saw Elsa smile from ear to ear, after hearing what he said. He started to sing.

_Is it possible maybe to have a love so strong_

_That nothing could ever compare_

_I'm holding back nothing just for the look in your eyes_

_So baby don't be surprised_

_Well I want to know what makes your world go round_

_And I want to hear your voice for the sound_

_A love that defines all I've had in mind_

_Now I'm holding back nothing for the look in your eyes_

While Jack played a small guitar break, there were a couple cheers from the background and Elsa noticed that they were gaining an audience. People in the park were gathering around their bench and watching Jack as he continued to sing.

_Impossible, maybe, but worth one last try_

_I'm waiting on your reply_

_I'm sitting here patiently just for the chance that I might be able to hold you tight_

_And I want to know what makes your world go round_

_And I want to hear your voice for the sound_

_A love that defines all I've had in mind_

_Now I'm holding back nothing for the look in your eyes_

_Now time is all that we have_

_So won't you let me inside your perfect world for one night_

_Just open up for me_

_Girl I swear that I will be everything you've ever thought a man should be_

_And I want to know what makes your world go round_

_And I want to hear your voice for the sound_

_A love that defines all I've had in mind_

_Now I'm holding back nothing for the look in your..._

_I can see the way you're lookin' back at me_

_Could it be that you see what you want to see_

_Just let your eyes believe it_

_I'll never lie to you, in my arms you will be, forever and I..._

_I'm holding back nothing for the look in your eyes_

_The look in your eyes_

Jack played the final note on his guitar and the audience applauded. He put his guitar on the ground. "Thank you. Thank you."

He turned to Elsa. "Did you like the song?"

"I loved it." She pulled him in for a hug and said to his ear, "You didn't have to write a song for me, Frost."

"Well I'd do anything for you, my queen," he replied as they pulled apart.

"I know."

Elsa wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and leaned in to kiss him.

The crowd clapped and cheered, which caused Elsa to grin against Jack's lips. She could feel him chuckling, too, at the crowd's reaction.

Elsa knew that people were watching and the phones were snapping photos and taking videos, but she didn't care. She and Jack made this decision together without any regrets.


	13. Chapter 13

Elsa dialed Gary's number.

"Yello!"

She smiled. "Hey Gary. Just as crazy as usual, I see."

"Of course. What's up?"

"I wrote a new song, but I want to make this one really special because it's dedicated to someone. So... Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure."

Elsa explained her plan to Gary, being ultra specific, and making sure not to leave any details out.

"You do realize that the quality won't be too good, right?" Gary pointed out.

"We'll do our best."

"The sounds of the audience will be all over it."

"I know."

"Are you sure about this?"

"One hundred percent."

"Alright, let's do it, then." Gary said enthusiastically.

"Great. Thank you so so much, Gary. It means a lot to me. Merida can't help because she's been on a short vacation, and quite frankly, you're the best person I can ask for this job."

Elsa heard him snicker over the phone.

"What?" she asked.

"There are loads of videos online of you and Jack in the park. If it weren't for the fact that Merida was on vacation, you two would be dead by now."

Elsa laughed nervously. She hadn't got the chance to tell Merida about her and Jack's decision. "You think I don't know that? That's why I need to get this done before she comes back. Merida would never allow it."

"It'll be ready soon, princess."

Elsa frowned. "Why are you calling me princess?"

"That's what Jack calls you, right?"

"Actually, he calls me queen."

"Meh, I wasn't that far off."

* * *

Jack stared at the tween in front of him in disbelief.

"Pleeeeaaaaase?" Ellie asked. "Please, please, pretty please."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you're my older brother and you love me." Emma smiled like an angel, even though Jack _knew_ that sometimes she was the exact opposite.

"Both of those are true, but-"

"Oh, come on!" Ellie whined, taking one of Jack's arms and waving it around. "Besides, what's so bad about going for a walk in the park? We can roller skate!"

Jack groaned. "Ellie, you don't understand."

"What's wrong?"

Jack sighed. It's been awhile since Elsa's last call. It's also been a while since Elsa's last text. On top of all that, the last time he's seen Elsa in person was the time in the park.

Every single attempt to get in contact with Elsa failed. He even tried to visit her at her apartment, but Dom the doorman said that Elsa wasn't accepting any visitors.

Jack had expressed his worry for Elsa (having not seen, heard, or talked to her), but Dom assured him that she was safe and sound, and simply not wanting to be disturbed. No visitors. No exceptions.

Jack, who at that point was very cross (and quite desperate), considered making a mad dash for the elevators. But just as the thought entered his mind, Dom straightened up, and Jack noticed that he was taller than him. Not to mention the fact that Dom subtly gestured to five more tall, remarkably buff, stern looking guys standing on the path to the elevators. They could probably send Jack to the hospital in under a minute.

Jack had left Elsa's building in dismay. Dom sure knew how to get the "don't even think about it" message across without saying a peep.

"Well?" Ellie asked, still waiting for an answer.

"I'm not in the mood," Jack said plainly.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Really?"

"Really."

"Not in the mood?"

"Nope."

"Not even for ice cream? From that place near the museum? Come on, you love their ice cream!"

Jack shook his head and sighed. "Let's go."

Ellie cheered.

* * *

Punzie helped Anna pack their bass guitars, while Elsa packed her normal guitar, opting to leave her ukulele at home.

"Are you sure, Elsa?" Anna asked again, unsure if she was talented enough to play her guitar. "I only started learning really recently…."

Elsa locked her phone and put it in her pocket. "It's okay, Anna. It'll be a simple part. I am sure that you can handle it." Elsa reassured Anna and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to her cousin. "Plus, if you screw up, I'm sure Punzie will make sure it goes unnoticed."

Elsa and Punzie shared a laugh while Anna pouted.

"Hey! I'm bad at guitar, but I'm not that bad!"

Elsa tapped Anna's nose. "I was only joking." She slung her guitar bag over her shoulder. "We should go. Gary's waiting downstairs."

After spending the entire elevator ride down telling Anna that _you're going to be fine, it'll be easy you won't mess up, I promise it'll be okay, _they finally arrived downstairs and Elsa got to see Gary again.

Gary was leaning against a van with the widest grin on his face. A woman was standing next to him.

"Hey, Elsa! This is Astrid. We've been good friends since high school. She's been playing drums since she was three."

Astrid and Elsa shook hands.

"I got Astrid to help us last minute."

Astrid looked up at Gary. "Yup. And now you owe me big time."

Gary sighed, facing the unfortunate truth. "I really do. Okay, Elsa, come to the back of the van. I got all the equipment there."

The trunk of the van was a mess of microphones, wires, speakers, headphones, and other random recording paraphernalia.

"This should take care of the recording and keep the quality adequate. I can do the rest of the editing on my laptop, and it'll be ready to be released. Easy as pie." He turned to Elsa. "God bless modern technology, am I right?"

Elsa beamed. "You've never been wrong. Thank you so much."

"No problem. This is going to be epic. I can feel it."

* * *

Jack was impressed. He and Ellie were on their roller blades and so far, neither of them had fallen. Usually it'd be something stupid like _oh there's a butterfly maybe we should chase it, but I am just now realizing that it was a bad idea because yep I tripped over a twig and there's the pavement-it appears that I have fallen._

But today, no foolish happenstances have occurred.

They were rolling through the park, the spring breeze in their hair and the sparkling sun warming their skin.

As they were stopping to refill their water bottles, Ellie checked her watch. Her eyes widened.

Jack frowned. "What's wrong?"

Ellie shook her head. "Nothing. Race you to the other end of the park."

Jack smirked. "You're on. Prepare to weep after losing."

Ellie scoffed. "As if!"

"First one to touch the counter at the ice cream shop wins," Jack declared.

Ellie nodded.

They sped off and roller skated through the park, making sure to stay on the right paths.

In the end, it was Jack who beat Ellie to the ice cream shop. However, Jack had to admit it was really close.

They stopped to catch their breath.

Jack leaned against the counter. It was facing outdoors, mainly for people who wanted to stop by for ice cream but didn't have time to go inside and sit down.

Ellie pouted. "So unfair. Your arms are longer than mine."

Jack chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll hit your growth spurt." He nodded towards the ice cream. "What flavors do you want?"

* * *

The van pulled up on the sidewalk. The barricades had already been set up.

Thankfully, barely any people paid attention to them as they began to pull out the equipment for the performance, mostly due to the fact that Elsa had stayed in the van.

"But I want to help. I don't want you guys to do all the heavy lifting while I just sit here," Elsa protested.

"I understand," Gary replied. "But if you step out that door, your fans will swarm around this van, and we don't want a crowd-at least not until we're finished setting up."

Elsa sighed, dejected.

Gary placed a hand on her shoulder. "Elsa, we'll be fine. We're here to help you out-it's our pleasure. Just wait until you get to perform for all your fans. They'll enjoy it and be so happy."

Elsa shook her head. "The truth is, it's not always about wowing the fans. I think the most important thing about music is the meaning in the song. A song is born from feelings and emotions from once in a lifetime moments. If you lose the meaning, you lose the song, and you lose the moment."

Gary placed a hand over his heart. "Look at you, all grown up and saying deep things."

Elsa smiled. "I'm serious, though."

"I know. Most of the music industry doesn't agree with your views on music, which is pretty sad for the world, but good for you."

Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"It makes you unique," Gary explained. "It's part of what makes you strictly you. Never forget that."

"I won't."

* * *

Ellie checked her watch. Then she looked at the ice cream flavors in front of her. She had to stall for a few minutes.

Jack waited. "So? What flavor are you in the mood for today?"

Ellie stroked her chin. "Well I usually get strawberry… "

Jack nodded. "So is that what you w-"

"... but I feel like changing it up today…"

"Okay, what flavor do you want?"

"... the cookies and cream looks good… but so does the tiramisu… and the dark chocolate raspberry, wow, THAT LOOKS GOOD… but then again, there's mint chocolate chip…."

Jack sighed, and exchanged looks with the ice cream guy behind the counter. "Sorry about this," Jack said.

"Nah, it's fine. I got used to it."

"... pistachio, dulce de leche, blueberry, sweet chai latte, salted caramel... "

Eventually Ellie settled on two scoops: dark chocolate raspberry, and blackberry.

Jack went with mint chocolate chip and vanilla bean. Ellie checked her watch again as Jack reached into his pocket for his wallet.

The ice cream guy handed their cones over, and said, "You don't have to get your wallet out. They're paid for already."

Ellie giddily took her ice cream. "Thank you!"

Jack raised his eyebrows. "On the house?"

The guy nodded.

"May I ask why?"

"There's an event, so we're promoting our new flavors."

"What event?"

The ice cream guy pointed in the opposite direction where there were barricades. A stage was set up. And on that stage was…

"Oh," Jack said finally.

The ice cream guy and Ellie looked at each other and grinned in unison.

* * *

Gary had given her the cue, and now Elsa was on the stage testing the microphone. Behind her were Anna, Punzie, and Astrid, ready to play.

Elsa started to strum her guitar, and looked straight ahead. She spotted the ice cream shop Ellie told her about, and sure enough, Ellie and Jack were standing there.

Although they were many meters away from her, Elsa could tell that Jack was gaping. She smiled, hoping he knew that it was him she was smiling at, and sang into the microphone.

_I never thought that you would be the one to hold my heart_

_But you came around and you knocked me off the ground from the start_

Several people turned to look in Elsa's direction. Off in the distance, she heard a scream that sounded suspiciously like: "Oh my _gosh_, it's Elsa freakin' Winters!"

A crowd began to form in front of the stage.

_You put your arms around me_

_And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go_

_You put your arms around me and I'm home_

_How many times will you let me change my mind and turn around?_

_I can't decide if I'll let you save my life or if I'll drown_

The audience kept multiplying, many of them whipping out their phones and swaying to the music, but Elsa kept looking at Jack, and Jack looked back at her.

_I hope that you see right through my walls_

_I hope that you catch me 'cause I'm already falling_

_I'll never let our love get so close_

_You put your arms around me and I'm home_

_The world is coming down on me and I can't find a reason to be loved_

_I never wanna leave you but I can't make you bleed if I'm alone_

_You put your arms around me_

_And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go..._

_I hope that you see right through my walls_

_I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling_

_I'll never let our love get so close_

_You put your arms around me and I'm home_

_I try my best to never let you in to see the truth_

_And I've never opened up_

_I've never truly loved till you put your arms around me_

_And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go_

_I hope that you see right through my walls_

_I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling_

_I'll never let our love get so close_

_You put your arms around me and I'm home_

_You put your arms around me and I'm home _

* * *

After Elsa finished her song, Jack and Ellie, along with audience, applauded.

Elsa thanked the audience, then stepped off the stage.

Some audience members left and went back to what they were doing before the pop up concert. But the remainder of the audience surged forward as Elsa got off the stage. In their hands were pens and markers and Sharpies and paper. They leaned over the barricades and asked for autographs.

"Come on," Ellie ushered. "Let's go!"

Throughout the song, Jack and Ellie had stayed in their spots by the ice cream shop, but now, Ellie was making her way towards the stage. Jack followed her.

One by one, after they got their autographs and photos, the fans started to leave the area. Though there were hundreds of people, Elsa took the time to sign for everyone.

Jack smiled as he watched her from a distance.

Ellie waited patiently at the back of the crowd, and when Elsa said goodbye to her second to last fan, she came face to face with Ellie.

Elsa immediately smiled. "I knew the best fan was saved for last!"

Ellie beamed. "Hi Elsa!"

Elsa pushed a barricade aside just enough to let Ellie in, before moving it back to its original position. Jack watched as the two chatted and giggled as they walked. He hopped over the barricade and followed close behind.

Elsa then introduced Ellie to Gary. Gary began to explain lots of tech-related things to Ellie. He must've said something funny because Elsa, Ellie, and Gary started laughing at the same time.

Elsa turned away for a second and out her peripheral vision, she caught a glimpse of Jack.

He gave her a wave and started to walk to her. She did the same.

They stood apart for a while, and things were quiet.

Jack was the one to break the silence. "Hi."

"Hi."

Jack put his hands in his pockets. "So... Two weeks. You made me go two weeks without seeing you."

Elsa nodded.

"All of that torture to surprise me with this song?"

"Yes, pretty much." Elsa chuckled lightly. "Did you like it?"

"I loved it."

Elsa beamed.

"Was the no phone calls and no messages part really necessary?" Jack asked.

Elsa flustered up. "Well, uh, there was a plan, and-"

Jack smiled. Elsa looked really cute when she was flustered. He stepped forward and hugged her.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's nice to see you again. I missed you."

She closed her eyes. "I missed you too."

Jack pulled away. "Let's go get something to eat."

Elsa checked her watch and mentally cursed. "I can't. At least not right now. I have to be at an interview for the news in a few minutes."

Jack pouted.

"But the interview should only take me until 12:30. We can see each other then."

"Promise?" Jack asked.

"Promise."

Jack put his arm around Elsa. "I'll walk you there."

* * *

Elsa shifted in her seat. Although it felt longer than anticipated, the interview was going better than she expected. The interviewer, Nancy, was extremely nice, sweet, and easygoing.

Nancy sat up in her seat. "Okay, now I want to talk about what happened only an hour ago."

Elsa smiled. "Yes, the pop up concert."

"Am I wrong to assume that it's for your special someone, being Jackson Frost?"

"Yes, it was for Jack. Not too long ago, he wrote something and sang it to me at the park, and I wanted to return the favor."

"And you wrote this song yourself?"

Elsa nodded. "It's called 'Arms'. Actually, we recorded it live, so you could hear everything that was going on while I was performing."

Nancy laughed. "Really?"

"Yes. The audience cheering, clapping, cars honking in the background, it was all over the recording. The live version of the song will be released first, and a more professionally recorded one later."

Nancy moved on to the next question. "What kind of artist do you consider yourself? Or what kind of artist do you want to be?"

"I would say, for the most part, I'm more of a singer songwriter. Music, to me, is a very personal thing. I like writing my own lyrics because it's like taking a moment of my life and sharing it with others so that maybe they could feel the same feeling I was feeling while I wrote the song."

"That's a lot of feels," Nancy joked.

Elsa grinned. "Yes, because like I said, music is very personal."

"So, I'd like to ask you about your-" Nancy stopped mid-sentence and her eyes were looking at something behind Elsa.

Elsa turned around and saw Jack standing behind her, with his hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I wanted to ask you the same thing," Jack replied.

Elsa furrowed her brows. "What do you mean? You knew I was going to be here. I told you."

"I meant what are you _still_ doing here? You told me 12:30, which was a while ago."

Elsa looked at her watch. Sure enough, it's been around fifteen minutes since the interview was supposed to end.

"Come on, it's been two weeks. You're supposed to be with me right now," Jack complained, and Elsa couldn't help but notice how adorably childish it was.

"You're such a kid," she responded.

Jack pouted. He looked back and forth between Elsa and Nancy. "You guys have overrun, so if you could wrap it up… "

He gestured that he would wait outside for her, and Elsa nodded before he left the room to let them finish their interview.

When they did, Elsa left the room and went to the lobby, where Jack was playing with a decorative plant while waiting for her. He looked up and smiled at her.

Elsa smiled back.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Starving."

Jack offered her a hooked arm. Elsa linked her arm with his and they started to chat and catch up with each other as they left the building.

* * *

Later that day, Elsa sat in a chair in her apartment, calmly sipping tea.

Jack on the other hand, was losing his cool. He stood behind Elsa's chair, holding locks of her hair in his hands and looking utterly befuddled. _Do I criss cross here? Over or under? _he wondered.

Elsa was trying to see if Jack was capable of braiding her hair. Of course, Jack accepted the challenge without any second thoughts, and here he was.

Elsa set her mug on the table. "You know, I don't mind if you can't get it right. I'm really not expecting much."

"Hey!"

"I am just putting it out there that you have nothing to prove. There's no pressure whatsoever-" Elsa paused mid-sentence when she heard the sound of locks clicking open. She jumped out of her seat. "Merida's back."

Merida dragged her luggage in and shut the door before Elsa attacked her with a hug. "Welcome back."

Merida smiled and returned the hug. But when they pulled apart, the first thing she said was: "You two have the whole 'don't do anything stupid' thing all wrong."

Jack blinked, confused. "Eh?"

"Before I left, I said that you shouldn't do anything stupid, and what happened? You," she pointed at Jack, "sing a song that goes all over the internet. Then you," she pointed at Elsa, "perform a song that goes all over the internet, too."

Elsa walked over to Jack's side. "Well, Mer, after you left for your trip, we made a decision about what to do with the press questioning us about whether we were dating or not."

"Oh," Merida said in realization. "So you let it happen?"

Jack and Elsa nodded in unison.

Merida sighed. They really were a good couple. "I'm happy for you guys. One question though. Why didn't you just tell the press straightup? It would've saved you two love songs and hundreds of videos on YouTube."

Jack shrugged. "Because we're mushy and lazy like that."

Elsa smiled. "Yea, nobody wants to talk to the press."

Jack smirked. "Says the one who just did a news interview today."

The three shared a laugh before Merida went to unpack her stuff, and Jack went back to attempting to braid Elsa's hair.

Half an hour later, he grabbed a hair tie and secured the braid. "Okay, done."

Elsa put her (second refill of) tea on the table and got up. "Let's see the results, shall we?"

She walked to the bathroom mirror, and Jack followed closely behind.

Elsa looked at her reflection, expecting the worst. She did a double take.

It was not bad. Not bad at all. Her platinum blond hair was in a beautiful thick braid. It was not nearly as messy as she thought it would be. She brushed her bangs back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The results were nothing like what she expected.

All she could say was "Oh."

Jack, who was unusually quiet, finally piped up and asked, "That was a good oh, right?"

Elsa nodded. "Right," she smiled and turned to face Jack. "Best. Oh. Ever."


	14. Chapter 14

**Extra.**

* * *

**The Art of Getting Kicked Out of a Hotel**

**_Oslo, Norway_**

**_11:19 AM_**

Punzie was scrolling through the photos she took so far in Norway. Oslo was just so beautiful. This hotel was amazing, too. The Thief had a colorful, glamorous exterior, and all of its suites were artfully decorated as well. Punzie's eyes traveled from corner to corner of the suite. The bold blood red lines on the black armchair created a playful yet ominous effect. The rose gold geometric parts and segments adorning the base of the simple lamp on the mahogany desk, making it more artsy than plain.

Suddenly, she was in the mood for painting. Punzie had packed some drawing paper, and paper that could withstand watercolor, but she still needed some canvas for painting. She decided to go down to the lobby. Maybe the front desk had some, and perhaps even an easel.

However, as she walked down the hallways, she noticed something queer, if not unjust. The hallways were boring. Not artful or creative in any way. There wasn't even a painting or a photo hanging from the walls. Compared to the rest of the hotel, the hallways were gloomy. She was going to change that.

Punzie sped back into the room (running into the door in the process) to grab her box of paints and her assortment of paintbrushes. She ran back out to the hallways and started drawing patterns, making sketches and whatnot.

She glanced at Pascal, who has made himself comfy on the box of paint.

"This is okay, right? The staff won't freak out about this, right?"

Pascal nodded.

"Alright, back to painting…"

Punzie hummed as she painted to her heart's content.

* * *

**_2:55 PM_**

Anna inhaled the scent of the chocolate lava cake placed before her. "That smells amazing," she said. "Thank you."

The waitress smiled and moved on to the next customer waiting for service.

Anna almost didn't have the patience to use the fork, she just wanted to stuff herself with cake. Unfortunately, she was in the main restaurant in The Thief, so she was surrounded by people. Reluctantly, she picked up a fork. She gave herself a liberal helping of the chocolate lava cake. Her eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh!" she grabbed the wrist of the waitress that was walking by. "You have got to tell me what kind of chocolate you used in this cake. It tastes heavenly, please, my life will be forever incomplete if I don't find out what this chocolate is and where to find it."

The waitress stared in shock for a split second before smiling. "Follow me to the kitchen. I'm sure the chefs can tell you everything you need to know about the cake."

Anna squealed. "Yes, yes, thank you!"

She followed the waitress to the kitchen, which to her surprise, was absolutely huge. It was vast and spacious, with every piece of kitchen equipment imaginable.

"Wow…" Anna gazed in awe.

"Meet Tiana. She's the head chef and baker here," the waitress said.

Anna shook Tiana's hand. "It's so nice to meet you! Did you bake that chocolate lava cake?"

Tiana chuckled. "Yes. I'm assuming you liked it?"

"Liked it? I _loved_ it! You have to tell me what kind of chocolate you used in that cake! Ever since I tasted it, I unofficially made it my lifelong mission to find and buy this chocolate, and I'm only in Norway for a week, so I'd really like to know, if you don't mind," Anna said quickly.

"Of course."

Tiana led Anna to a chilled area of the kitchen, and handed her a small bit of chocolate that was broken off a huge block. "We get this chocolate from a small chocolate factory right outside of the city. I'm sure you'll find time during your week to visit it."

Anna curiously ate the chocolate, and as soon as she finished chewing, she decided that she was going to the small chocolate factory. Right now. So she got directions from Tiana, jotting them down on a little notepad.

Anna danced through the kitchen on her way out, and couldn't care less when she knocked a heavy sculpture into a lavender wedding cake. She was going to find the chocolate bar of her dreams!

* * *

**_6:38 PM_**

Punzie finished her work in the hallways and ran down to front desk in hopes for canvas.

Fortunately, a guest checking in at the time Punzie was at the front desk was an artist. A menu artist. He created collages out of the menus he collected, and he had extra stapled, stretched canvas, so he gave one to Punzie. He also happened to have an easel.

Punzie stood by the window and admired the magnificent sunset before her. The floor to ceiling windows gave her the perfect view, so she picked up her paintbrush and started painting in the purples and oranges in the sunset. Then she blended the tints of purple with a variety of pinks.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

"Hey, Punzie, I'm back," Anna said.

Punzie turned and raised her eyebrows. Anna was carrying multiple bags and boxes, barely managing to stand up straight and keep her balance.

"What are these?" Punzie asked, as she helped Anna set the bags on the table.

"This is your first experience of food from heaven." Anna replied.

She immediately lit up and pulled a small box from a bag. Punzie looked through the clear lid and saw a row of chocolates, all perfectly lined up, and equally spaced.

Anna lifted the lid. "Try one. They're amazing!"

Punzie popped a chocolate in her mouth, and her eyes widened as the chocolatey flavor expanded in her mouth.

Soon enough, the girls were rummaging through all of the bags and boxes, which were all, of course, filled with chocolate.

The two were completely unaware of what was going on on the first floor of The Thief. A couple just got married, and the groom said, "Let's cut the cake!"

His jaw dropped when the ruined wedding cake was wheeled in, with a heavy sculpture weighing the top of the cake down, crushing the rest of it.

The couple was furious.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO OUR FUCKING WEDDING CAKE?!"

* * *

**_9:14 PM_**

Someone was pounding on the door.

Anna, with her mouth stuffed, said, "I'll get it."

But when she reached the door, it violently swung open, almost hitting her.

"Hey!" she shouted. "That's rude."

The manager of the hotel along with the person at the front desk stood outside the doorway, both looking very upset.

The manager pointed at Anna and Punzie. "You two. What is the meaning of this?!"

"Of what?" they replied simultaneously, completely oblivious to the damage they had done (ruined walls, a ruined wedding cake, a ruined wedding, and a nearly ruined marriage).

"Do you not see the walls?" the front desk clerk asked. He made his point by stepping aside and dramatically gesturing at the walls behind him.

"I- I didn't do that!" Anna shouted.

Behind her, Punzie laughed nervously, tugging and playing with her hair. "I was the one who did that."

"And how would you explain the wedding cake?" the manager asked.

"What wedding cake?" Anna asked.

"I had nothing to do with that," Punzie said quickly.

"We have proof that you," he pointed at Anna, "are responsible for destroying a very expensive, very high quality, very exquisite wedding cake."

"What?!" Anna was bewildered.

The manager pulled up the video feed from the security cameras from the afternoon. Sure enough, Anna was dancing around, picking up a statue bust as she spun, and simply ignoring the fact that it landed on a wedding cake.

"Oops," she said. Anna looked down. "Look, we're sorry, we didn't mean to-"

The manager pinched the bridge of his nose. "We're going to have to ask you to leave. You're no longer welcome at The Thief."

"What? You can't just kick us out like that!" Punzie cried out. She turned to Anna. "They can't, right?"

Anna sighed. "Is there any way we can-"

"No. Just go."

"Please I swear-"

"Out. Now."

* * *

**_4:59 AM_**

Anna and Punzie sat in the airport, waiting for their flight, their suitcases by their sides.

Punzie sighed. "We should call Elsa. Tell her what happened."

Anna sat up. "No, I can't! She'd get so mad!"

"Just do it. She'll want to know. She wouldn't want us to show up out of the blue, right?"

"I guess."

So Anna picked up her phone and dialled Elsa's number. She waited as the phone rang, secretly hoping that Elsa didn't answer. But she did.

"Hello?"

Anna took a deep breath and prepared herself to tell Elsa what happened.

"Hi Elsa!" Anna said. "How's it going back home? Watcha doing?"


End file.
